McClure, dames G. K. 
Intercessory prayer 


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Rev. James G. K. McClure, D. D. ee 


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CHICAGO 


The Bible Institute Colportage Atsociatfiog’ 
826 North La Salle Street 


COPYRIGHT, 1902, 
BY FLEMING H. 


REVELL COMPANY 
~~ March =O 


aS | The purpose of this Ebook is to exalt the power 


and serviceableness of Intercessory Prayer. Many 
Christian workers lead such busy lives, every hour 
being claimed for speaking, visiting, studying or 


the like, that their minds, absorbed in such duties, doh 
_ are in danger of minimizing the sacred and EMPOr eee 


tant duty of Intercession. M agen Pine 

I earnestly hope that this book will she every 
reader of a mighty means of usefulness that is avail- 
able to us all. I believe that sustained Intercessory 


i Prayer will hasten the day of Christ’s glory—that 


such Intercessory Prayer is one of the largest needs 
of our time. If the reader of these pages will give 


_ himself anew to Intercessory. Prayer, making such . 


Intercession the very heart of his Christian activity, 


ae we these pages. will have accomplished their purpose. 


eae G. K. McCture.” 
lake Forest, m. 


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ae Contents. fe edit, Tans ss 
= ree O THE Micuty. Ministry OF INTERCESSION = 9 Ro 
x ~ IL, +. Tue Taent oF INTERCESSION -~ - 25 25 ite 


ee III. For Wuom Curist Asks INTERCESSION - 38 
°°" — IV. * Tue Comrorter SoucHT For SERVICE. - 53 - 


V. SPECIAL PETITIONS FOR OuR BELOVED - 66 


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oe VI. THE CurisT1AN WoRKER’S INTERCESSION 
See VII. Best REQguEsTs For BEST PEOPLE - + 97 
VIII. INTERCESSION FOR THE UNSAVED . ©.) 113 Seg 


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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2022 with funding from 
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https://archive.org/details/intercessoryprayO1mccl 


One of the mightiest instrumentelities for’ the 
world’s advance is intercessory prayer—prayer for 


forethought and who secured large results. 
All through his busy public career, while he was ~ 
trying to reform and elevate Israel, he prayed for 


administration: the principles that he taught were . 
~ the soundest, and the deeds of his official leader- 
ship were flawless. But he believed that his full 
usefulness to his fellow men and his full devotion 
to God were not accomplished until he had ae 
to God to bless men. 

To Samuel it was a “sin against the Lord” not ! 


he was retiring from public leadership, Samuel so 
q . 


Israel. He laid proper emphasis on instruction and . - 


The Migbty Ministry of 1 ntetcession. ; fa ae 


others. Some souls have realized this fact. One) 3 as 
such was Samuel. He was much like our Wash-9.5 
ington, a wise, practical leader, who had. great ~ 


to pray for others. In one of the most remarkable : . 3 
5 addresses in all history, an address that reminds . ~ 
: us of Washington’s Farewell Address, delivered as mee 


A Mighty. Means =o: Usefulness 


desienated failure to pray Zn others—a “sin against 
the Lord.” At a moment that was in many respects 75 
the consummate moment of his life, a life eminently © = 
judicious, pure and beneficial, he declared that 
- though he ceased to exercise the functions of official 
leadership, one thing he would not cease to do— 
pray for Israel; for to cease doing that would be a 
Sin, ise : pies ag Be 
Some such startling assertion seems necessary to res 
_arouse our attention to the wondrous power for rey TA 
~ God’s glory and for human good that there is in 
intercessory prayer. It, too, as well as prophetic as ae 
_ teaching and public leadership, may be a mighty ~~ a 
ministry of usefulness. Re 
An incident in English history illustrates this 
ministry. Henry VIII. was king of England. 
William Tyndale, a scholar, wished to translate the 
Greek New Testament into English, so that the 
English people could have God’s word in their ts 
own tongue. The king and church alike refused | 
: to allow such a translation.. There was not a spot 3 
“tin England where Tyndale was safe to carry out = © 
‘his project. So he went to the Continent. There 
__he labored, under stress and difficulties. He made. - 
his translation. He sent it over to England. The 
authorities burned it. Still he kept at his work, 


10 


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Osh at. ast burned to pons “His dying words were i 


“. Nevin: 7k ie 


‘ = open the king of England’s eyes |” aS re ae é 


“unselfishly Tyndale had prayed that the king’ s eyes 


--of intercessory prayer. ~. . 


a ywe | have grown careless or lukewarm about inter- hme 
_ cessory Prayer—to turn to the Gospel as John wrote 


The Matty Ministry ot, Inerceton 


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Little did it seem as though, that prayer would 53 
be answered. The king was set against the circu- ; 
lation of the Bible and there was no indication — sages 
whatever that he would change his mind. But that. °°" 
true prayer of intercession had been offered. All 


_might be so opened that he would see what a bless-. ey i 
ing the English Bible would be to the English peo- B f oy 
ple, and would desire the people to have that Bible. ~ 
The prayer was answered! In a little time Henry ine 
VIII. saw the Bible in an entirely new light. . 
Instead of persecuting those who favored its trans- : 
lation he helped them. He even gave his royal sanc- , .\ 


tion to the issue of the Bible. The English trans--: ©: 


Jation which is in our hands today, proclaims, when- Se: 
ever we read it, that the prayer of intercession pre- - 
vails. The English Bible is a witness to the Ae ai 


It is startling to us Serine rect when 


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A Mighty Means of Usefulness 


it oad see the ape peenied there by Christ’s in- RRS 


tercessory prayer. The closing hours of Christ's 


life had come. He poured out His heart to His. 
disciples. So helpful, so living were the words He 


then spoke, that the four chapters beginning with 
“Let not your heart be troubled,” are the best loved 
chapters of the Bible. How do they end? How 
does Christ conclude His last opportunity of free 
association with His disciples? He concludes it 
with a prayer—a prayer not for Himself, but for 
them; for them and those who should believe on 
Him through their words. This was His last 
legacy, His crowning service to mankind, ere He 
died. 

Earlier in His ministry He had ‘said to Peter, 
“TI have prayed fer thee.” Peter had no thought 
whatever of his particular need: he did not and 
could not foresee that he would be exposed to pe- 
culiar temptations that might lead him to forsake 
his Master, and even to deny Him. But Christ 
foresaw the whole exposure, and, in anticipation, 


Christ prayed: for him. When the temptations came, | 


and Peter did deny his Lord, Peter did not utterly 
fail, because the prayer of intercession prevailed. In 


the very hour of denial Peter’s heart melted, and . 


penitently he came back to Christ. 


1Z 


The Mighty Ministry of Intercession 


ve . <. We can follow this special prayer of intercession — 
___ by Christ for Peter and we can note its effects. = Wes 
“cannot in the same way follow the general. prayer 
‘. of intercession as given in John’s seventeenth chap--). ~ ~_= 


ter, and note its particular answers. , Yet we do not 


doubt that the courage of James at Jerusalem, and - * 


the sweetness of John_at Patmos, and the safety 
and peace of hundreds like our own selves all over 
the world, were secured through that very prayer. 

How much this world of ours would have lost 
had there been no intercessory prayer! Stephen 
prayed for the group of people who stood about him 
as he was being stoned to death—and lo, out of that 
group comes a young man, Paul, who gives his 
whole heart and life to the cause of Christ. What 


an omission it would have been if Stephen had not . 


prayed! Away back in distant days, when Israel 
contended with the Amalekites in the valley, Moses 
was on the mountain, with Aaron and Hur at his 
sides. Moses stretched out his arms in prayer, that 
God would give victory to Israel. The day dragged 
on. Moses was old and his arms heavy. But 


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Aaron and Hur helped him, upholding his out-° -° ~ 


stretched arms in-supplication: and when the day 


_» went down, victory'was with Israel. 


Intercessory prayer—to prevail—is to be unself- 
z3' 


a ish. aT prayer says, «Not my will, but Thine, be ag) 
_ done.” We are never to pray for things merely | 


, as well as our particular selves. Pure and devoted «« 


oA Mighty Means of Usefulness - 


“pleasing to us, irrespective of their relation to that 
-holy will of God which embraces all His creatures: 


souls will not obtrude their individual interests as 
imperative, among counsels that pertain to all hu- 
manity. Not one of us should ask God to make the. 
day clear for him or her—unless a clear day is best 
for all the interests of God’s will. Our health and |. 

~ strength and the health and strength of our friends 
are to be sought by us only as they minister to the: 
~ advance of God’s blessed wishes for us and others. | 


Intercessory prayer!‘ for whom shall it be of- 
fered? Intercession is always for persons; we sup- 
Plicate for things, we intercede for persons. Who 
shall these persons be? “For kings and for all 
that are in authority.” “Paul says. “Kings and all ° 228s = 
that are in authority” is an inclusive designation = 
an comprehending all charged with the responsibilities rae | 
ui of public: oversight and public welfare. : — : 
S Tyndale prayed for Henry VIII.; we are to pray, A 
~ for all- rulers. | = 

The design of such prayer is defined, aoe i 
that rulers shall so use their power that “the people 


14 


The Mighty Bi of Intercession: 


Disb a, 


* es officer, enaeves he: may be, police magistrate, justice | 
"of the peace, mayor, governor, president, may be 
preserved in strength and may conduct his office so 
- as to secure the praise of his particular following: 
but it is that every officer may administer his station © 
to the good of others “‘in all godliness and hon- 
esty.” Intercessory prayer rises above a party, an 
administration, a sect, a college, a corporation; it *, 
views all things in the light of eternal and world- 
embracing principles—principles of righteousness . 
and goodness and truth—and in reality it asks that 
those who hold office shall be men who carry out the . 
very will of God—for the good of humanity. 

Of such prayer there never can be too much. 
Office is deceptive. Office has power, and often 
that power in itself gives a sense of self-sufficiency 
to the person who holds it. “Is this not great Baby- 
lon that J have builded?” boasted Nebuchadnezzar. 
To whom, forsooth, was he responsible? Men and 
women in the line of hereditary monarchies often — 
forget that their authority, as all authority of any 
kind, is a God-conferred gift, and that they must 
use it as God wishes, else they desecrate it. Even 
- when people have temporary authority conferred 


15 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness 


"upon them by the franchises of others, they may _ a 


give their constituents supreme place in considera- 
tion, and thus rest their dependence upon those 
constituents rather than upon God. To keep office 
by pleasing their constituents becomes their chief 


aim. The temptation to do this is fearful. Knox . 
did not care for office, did not care whether the 


queen honored him or dishonored him, whether she 
let him live or put him to death. What Knox cared 
for was Scotland’s welfare. He did not consult, 
nor did he fear, the will of men: he consulted and 
he feared the will of God alone. 


Today there is not a person bearing authority 


who does not need our intercessory prayer. Paul 
held his apostleship by .a special call thereto, but 
in his sense of insufficiency, he said, “Pray for us.” 
Every minister needs prayer. He has his own pe- 
culiar temptations: to formality, to slackness, to 
discouragement. He may do and say very foolish 
things; he may be like the shepherds of prophetic 
days who cried peace when there was no peace, and 
denied the people the spiritual food they lacked. 
On the other hand a minister of pure motives and 
true piety may be a great blessing. The people 
prayed, and when Peter stood up at Pentecost, 
three thousand hearts were changed. The people 
16 


The Mighty Ministry of Intercession 


=prayed all night for John Livingstone, and when ™” 
next day at Shotts he preached, five hundred souls . 


came to Christ. A praying people make a power- 
ful ministry. This is not due merely to the fact 
that knowledge of their prayers cheers the minister, 
though cheer him it does. When Spurgeon 
stepped forward into his tabernacle pulpit on a 
Sunday morning, with his large band of deacons 
around him—men who had spent a half hour in 
prayer that God’s words through Spurgeon’s lips’ 
might~bring glory to God—Spurgeon himself 
felt stronger and the people who knew what 
had taken place felt the more expectant. For if 
there is anything God specially delights to own, 
it is prayer that the Holy Spirit may be in the as- 
sembly of His worshipers. God “loves the gates 
of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.” 
Pray then for the minister, have children pray for 
him—not for his sake, but for the people’s sake, 
and for God’s glory in the people’s good. What an 
opportunity for continued usefulness every invalid 
has, and everyone detained from the House of God 
has—to pray for the ministry of the Gospel! “God 
forbid,” may they one and all declare, “God forbid 


* that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to . 


pray for the ministry.” 
17 


eet Mighty Means of Use[ulnees . 


“yeni wide-spread and. diversified 3 


’ Teachers as it. They too are exposed to tempta~\ - se 
tions—perhaps to be unduly dogmatic, perhaps to < = 
do their work for the work’s sake, perhaps to with- oe 
draw too much from the responsibilities of the 


Church, and the burdens of the State. The power 


for good of a teacher’s life, if that life be earnest, ° 


scholarly, unselfish and godly, is mighty. Day by 
day there comes the contact between the teacher 
. and impressible souls. Little by little truths can be 
“indoctrinated, ideals magnified, ambitions purified. 
If the spirit.be what it may be, the effect will be, 
perhaps, a lifelong blessing. The pupil in after years 
will express views, and enforce sentiments that to 
_him are absolutely his own—and still it was the 
teacher away back in the past, who somehow so 
inculcated all these views and sentiments that the 
. teacher, not the pupil, is their real author. 

Teachers need prayer—prayer that they may be 
patient, that they may see good possibilities in every 


pupil, and that they may endeavor to bring out 
those | possibilities in all “godliness and honesty.” 

We wish sound views of society, of business and of = 

government taught; we wish the eternal principles ean 
of righteousness engrafted upon young life. When =~ 


a man‘or woman so arouses the nobility of pupils 
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The Mighty Ministry of Intercession 


: : that the pupils scorn td, do. the: wrong or the petty 
ren thing, and aspire. after. ‘standards that, are’ Christ 
~ like, then the teacher fulfills his mission. But the °. 


very best teacher is in danger of carrying a heavy 
heart because routine is so unceasing, and drudgery 
so persistent. We do well then to pray that he 
may always come to his classes like a benediction 
and that his personal fellowship with his pupils 
may be an unceasing inspiration. 


Nor may we leave out from “authority” employ- 
ers of labor. Certainly such employers have their ~ : 


peculiar temptations. Often they are deceived, 
often they are severely tried by the slackness and 
unfaithfulness of their employees. The superior 
mental and material gifts whereby employers. hold 


authority may prove a snare to their hearts. Be- — 


cause others have a lower order of talent employers 
may, forsooth, look down on the others.. Self-made 
men find it hard to deal gently with those whose 
incapacity always keeps them weaklings.: But these 
self-made men are under special responsibilities. 
Because God has made them leaders, God has com- 
mitted the welfare of tens, twenties, hundreds, 


thousands, into their hands.’ Their. views, their. 


decisions, their example, are fraught with mighty 
influence. The tendency with many men concern- 
2 


A Mighty Means of Se 


ing ere employers is, not to pray for them, ‘bate 


to berate them. Fault is found with their We es 
cies, and sometimes even antagonism is aroused Sinn "a 


‘against them. 

The whole world today, even where Wer are 
Christian churches, is filled with those who do not 
understand one another. The effort to maintain 
interests dear to one set of people seems to blind 
the eyes of that set to the interests dear to another 
set. Hence the opposition and the bitterness. But 
it is far, far better to pray for “captains of indus- 
try” than to arouse hatred against them. Employers 
are but weak, fallible men, to whom God has as- 
signed tremendous responsibility. Let us ask him 
to open their eyes, as the eyes of Henry VIII. were 
‘opened, and the result will be, that the hearts of 
employers will become wise and the lives of em- 
ployees will become enriched. 

The prayer of intercession offered for all that 
_are in authority, offered not as a perfunctory utter- 
ance, but offered straight out of a burdened heart, 
assures all that are in authority that we understand 
their burdens, sympathize with their difficulties and 
expect “godliness and honesty” to characterize their 

-purposes. A man in authority who is careless or 
wicked is a libel on his station; authority is con- 


20 


- 


The Mighty Ministry of Intercession 


|, ferred by God only—that he ie has it may strive. 
“.~ to make this world a happy, peaabiul’ place | for : 
every human life. = See 
Our prayer of intercession is not complete when 
~ offered merely for those in authority; it is to be 
offered “for all men.” When the High Priest 
came into the Holy of Holies with the breastplate 
over his heart, the name of every tribe was en- 
graved on that breastplate. Face to face with God 
he interceded for all. We all need intercession. 
Whittier expresses in “The Prayer Seeker” the call _ 
of every human soul for our sympathy and inter- 
cession. 
“Along the aisle where prayer was made 
A woman, all in black arrayed, 
Close veiled, between the kneeling host, 
With gliding motion of a ghost, 
Passed to the desk and laid thereon 


A scroll which bore these words alone, 
‘Pray for me!’ 


“Back to the night from whence she came 
To unimagined grief or shame! 
Across the threshold of that door 
None knew the burden that she bore; 
Alone she left the written scroll, 
The legend of a troubled soul,— 
‘Pray for me!’ 


“Glide on, poor ghost of woe or sin! 
Thou leav’st a common need within; 


21 


FF | t Might Means of Usefulness 3 : 


ort 
) Each pao fike eo some nameless reo “ 3 


Some misery inarticulate, 

- Some secret sin, some shrouded dread 

Some household sorrow all unsaid. 
‘Pray for us!’ 


“He prayeth best who leaves unguessed 
The mystery of another’s breast. 

. Why cheeks grow pale, why eyes o’erflow, 
Or heads are white, thou need’st not know. 
Enough to note by many a sign 
That every heart hath needs like thine. 

‘Pray for us!” 


In Mr. Moody’s long and useful labors there 
was one story that he loved to tell because it sug-’ 
gested the glory of God and in no wise suggested 


the glory of Mr. Moody. He told it to indicate his 

belief in the power of prayer. This is the story: 
“After the Chicago fire he went to London to rest 

and to learn from the Bible scholars there. He had 


: no intention of preaching. One Sunday morning 
“he was persuaded to preach in a church in London. . 
-» Everything about the service dragged. He wished 
SE that he had never consented to preach. There was 
“.--a woman in the city who had heard of Mr. Moody’s © ° 
| a work in America and had been asking God to send: 
him to London. This woman was an invalid. Her a) 
- sister was present at the church that Sunday morn- | a 
ing. When the hearer reached home she asked her. 


22 


The Mighty Missi of, Intercession 


oA sa “sister to guess who had spoken for them that morn- | if 
¢ ‘ 2 aS ne ing. She guessed one after another. ‘of. those with rite 
f Seopa ~ whom her pastor was in the habit of exchanging, 
never guessing aright. Her sister said, “No, Mr.» 
Moody from Chicago.’ The. sick woman turned 
pale, and said, ‘This is an answer to my prayer. If 

I had known that he was to be at our church, I 
should have eaten nothing this morning, but waited 

on God in prayer. Leave me alone this afternoon: do 
not let anyone come to see me; do not send me any- 
thing to eat.’ All that afternoon that woman gave 
herself to prayer. As Mr. Moody preached that 
night, he soon became conscious that there was a 
different atmosphere in the church. ‘The powers of 

an unseen world seemed to fall’ upon him and his 
hearers. As he drew to a close he felt impressed to 
give out an invitation. He asked for all who would 
accept Christ to rise. Four or five hundred people 
rose. He thought that they misunderstood him, 
and so he put the question several ways that there 
might be no mistake. But no, they had understood. 
He then asked them to go to an adjoining room. 
As they passed out, he asked the pastor of the. - 
church who these people were. He’replied, ‘I do 
not know.’ ‘Are they your people?’ ‘Some of 
them.’ ‘Are they Christians?’ ‘I do not think so.’ 


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~ In that adjoining room he put the Hesse: very 


strongly, but still there were just as many ie 
rose. He told them to meet their pastor the next = 
night.. Next day he left for Dublin, but no sooner ‘~~: 


had he reached there than he received a telegram 
from the pastor saying that he must return and help 
him, for a great revival had commenced, and there 
were more out the second night than the first. Hun- 
dreds were added to the church at the time.” 

_ That was the beginning of Mr. Moody’s work as 
an international evangelist. Out of that work came 
the religious quickening of Great Britain and Ire- 
land, and the salvation of thousands upon thousands 
of souls throughout the world: Well was it for 

’ England and all Europe that the invalid woman did 

not cease to pray for the ministry of God’s word. 


-. 


a 


24 


The Talent of Intercession. 


Not everyone realizes that ability to pray is a 
talent. When the Rev. Charles G. Finney, about 
1830, was laboring for deeper, stronger religious 
life among the people of Western New York, there 
was one man whose praying seems to have done 
very much toward obtaining the desired results. In 
Utica, Syracuse, Binghamton, Rochester, Rome, 
great numbers of persons were aroused to new 
earnestness. Great numbers, also, renouncing sin, 
entered upon the Christian life. In all that coun- 
try religion became the foremost thing. It leavened 
society and business. It controlled ambition. The 
person who, as the world saw, was the one through 
whom these results were secured, was the preacher, 
Mr. Finney. 

But there was another person who had part in 
these results, Mr. Abel Clary. He never appeared 
in public gatherings. He gave himself wholly to 
. private prayer. He was an educated man. He 
had been licensed to preach. He preached, how- 


25 


Bee 2 ay A Mighty Means of. Usefulness 


ever, very little. ‘He was so fardened with a Soule. 
of men that he gave almost his whole time and’ 
strength to intercession. ‘He was a very silent man. fetes eV RARE 
Mr. Finney had known him from boyhood and had VE: aes 
> the greatest respect for his character. This Mr. — 
~ Clary, lying in bed as a consumptive, and drawing a 
little table to his side, would write in his journal 
- day by day, “My heart has been moved'to pray for 
Utica, for Syracuse, for Binghamton, for Rochester, 
for Rome.” After Mr. Clary’s death, Mr. Finney © ~ 
obtained this memorandum book and found that in’ 
the precise order of the burden laid upon that man’s . 


heart was the order of blessing as poured upon Mr. 
Finney’s ministry in the places named. Among 
other notes he discovered a memorandum about 
Ceylon. Looking into the records of the American 
Board, he found that at the time when Mr. Clary 
was praying on his sickbed for Ceylon, there had 
‘ been a great forward movement in that. land. 
We are familiar with the thought that every tals 
Aik , ent we possess or can possess should be cultivated. : s : 
“"i-=s Sometimes the talent is that of money-making, : acne 
unt sometimes that of. public speaking, sometimes that. © 
> of doing drudgery faithfully. We believe in many _ ees 
_ kinds of talents, and we believe that every individual ii yeaa 


has some special talent, given him by God, to be. 
26 


ee the public health. The woman who can reg- 


= ulate a home’s atmosphere so that it shall be, re- 3 ae 
‘ligiously beneficial also has a great opportunity. ee 


Every now and then, when someone stands forth 
very prominently as a writer, or as a speaker, or as 
a philanthropist, we say, “What a great talent that 
person has!” We immediately think ‘What a loss 
the world would suffer if that person’s talent should 


\. not be used!” Certainly our world would be the 


poorer if a Victor Hugo had not written his books, 
and a Henry Ward Beecher had not preached. his 


’ sermons, and a George Peabody had not erected his 


buildings. The whole of Western New York and 
great parts of Ohio and Illinois, affected by the 
men who came from western New York, would 
have suffered a distinct and grievous loss had not 
Mr. Finney spoken and labored as he did. Eset 

“But do we keep to the front in our minds this 
thought, that there is a talent of prayer as truly as 


_. there are other talents? Mr. Clary used the talent 
of prayer as God entrusted it to him.! The results _- 

" of his use of intercession were very great. Thou- ° Saha 
-sands of lives would have been the poorer had he 
not used his talent. ; 


27 


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A Mighty Means oF Usefulness) tart 


There are many worthy people asking canes ; : 
what more they can do to advance the good of the © : 
world. They give themselves to every kind of ae ceria 
beautiful enterprise; they provide holidays for the ~ ~ 


weary; they take little children from the crowd of 
the city to the open spaces of the country ; theynurse 
the sick; they furnish safe pleasures to the tempted ; 
they teach; they preach; they do everything that 
human ingenuity, under the inspiration of Christian 
love, can suggest. The many beautiful agencies of 
help, all under Christ and all for Christ, at work in 
the world are legion. Let not one of them be 
relaxed. Let all be sustained, and let a thousand 
more be added to them as opportunity may arise. 


Ability to use any or all of these agencies is a talent. . 


As a talent let it be magnified. But side by side 
with these different talents let there be recognition 
of still another talent, a talent that perhaps some- 
times lies wrapped in a napkin unused—the talent 
of intercession. The Yoriba Christians call prayer 
“the gift of the knees,” for to them prayer is a 
special endowment directly bestowed by God 

Every now and then we are confronted by some 
grave statements concerning the use of this talent 
of intercession. It is not a rare occurrence to hear 
the very men who, we might think, would most real- 

28 


The Talent of Intercession 
PX aria - 


ize’ “their Sepesidenss on divine help cbnfess that 

Aah own personal use of intercessory prayer is 

AE — very | limited. This information often comes out at a 

time when there is a gathering of ministers, or per- 

~~ haps a more general gathering of Christian “work- 

ers.” The questions then are asked, “How much 

time each day do you spend in interceding with God 

for the advance of His work? Is it an hour, a half 

hour? Is it fifteen minutes?” The answers to such 

questions are startling. The number. of persons 

who regularly give fifteen minutes a day to this 
means of blessing is very small. 

Of course we all understand that intercession is 

not a matter of place nor of attitude. Dr. Henry 

M. Scudder, when questioned in public on this very 

subject, once said, “I walk the streets of Chicago, 

picking my way in and out of the multitudes and 

I am praying for those multitudes every minute.” 

So others may pray as did Dr. Scudder. Wherever 

they may be—on trains, in stores, at public enter- 

tainments they may continually and earnestly ask 

God to bless those who are around them. Such 

prayer may be unobserved by any human eye, but 

the divine eye observes it, and to that eye it is 

direct prayer. When we see people in their sorrow 

or see them in their thoughtlessness or see them, 


. 29 


=A Mighty Means of Usefulness. 


x = Se 
like Lot, exposing their children by too near resi- 
dence to aon we re silently lift our hearts to” : 
God for them. - oe Angas Be SERS yi SSeS 
While not one word passes our lips, nor one . 
change takes place in our bodily attitude, our in- — 
tercession is true intercession. God hears it and _ 
regards it. , . 
Even after all such silent prayer has been reck- ; , 
oned as intercession, how large a place does such 
intercession have in our lives? How does its place 


Pree ee | 


compare with the place held by other matters? lf 
the place is a small one, is the reason for that small 
place our misunderstanding of the value of inter- 
cessory prayer? Have we thought about inter- 
cession as a talent entrusted to us for whose use 
“we are responsible? We hear the calls for our 
‘Money and we try to respond conscientiously to 
cases of need. We intend also to advocate all en- 
terprises that make for the welfare of humanity. 
We hold ourselves ready to do much running, think- 
ing, working for every cause known to be dear to > 
_ Christ. But do we forget that Christ spent a whole 
:night in prayer before He chose His twelve fellow- we 
‘workers and before He preached His Sermon on —. it 
the Mount? Do we forget that the early church = 
_ continued for days in prayer before Peter’s words 


z 30 E 


TOUT 434 ens . 
_ aera 


Ser ures 


coe: <P ase en, PEe: 


Crees Wes tt Hh Hele oa bhae eee ld 


Ae at. eee could be effective? Deer our eye fail 


“to ‘note that Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians has two 


i ~ distinct prayers in it, as though Paul’s hope for the . 
good of the Ephesians rested, not so much in his 


words of instruction, as in God’s power and bless- 
ing? 

The history of the Christian church never has 
been completely written. That history has been 
attempted and well attempted. The deeds done by 
men in the name and for the sake of Christ have- 
been told. These deeds make a remarkable record: 
the record of all martyrdoms, of all missionary ad- 
vances, of all philanthropic conquests. These nine-_— 


teen hundred years have witnessed scenes that are 


well calculated to stir the blood and make brave the 
heart of the student of church history. But nothing 
except exterior effects and the supposed motives 
back of these exterior effects have as yet been de- 
scribed. The throne of grace, out from which go 
the answers to prayer, is curtained. No one has 
been able to draw aside that curtain and show the 


world the spiritual helps that in answer to prayer fy ios 


have issued from that throne.,. It. is by these helps ‘ 
that history largely has been wrought out. There 
are some instances in which we can trace the direct. 
influence of intercession. We read in the Scripture 


31 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness 


that Peter was delivered from prison because men : 
and women, meeting together, prayed for his de- ~ 
liverarice. When then we see Peter, a free man, © 
knocking at the door of John Mark’s home we un- 
derstand that the means whereby he has become 
free is prayer. F 

In profane history, too, there is an occasional 
narrative that indicates the unseen force of prayer. 
The Marquis of Argyle was one of Scotland’s noble 
-witnesses for Christ’s cross and crown. On the 
morning of the day on which he was to be exe-_ 
cuted he was engaged in settling worldly affairs. 
Several of the leading people of Scotland were in 
the prison room with him. Suddenly in the midst 
of his business his soul was visited with such a sense 
of the divine favor as almost overwhelmed him. He 
attempted to conceal his emotions. He arose and 
went to the fireplace to stir the fire. But soon he 
turned around and with great fervor said, “I see 
that this will not do. I must now declare what 
the Lord has done for my soul. He has just now, 
at this very instant of time, sealed my charter in 
_ these words, ‘Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be 
forgiven thee.’” A little later he went to the scaf- 
fold. In the hour when he was put to death he 
had the most perfect assurance and a most triumph- 
ant calm. 


32 


ey: The Talent of Intercession 


The scene in the prison room as thus described ~ 


§ : “was all that the human observers could see. But 


was there nothing unseen that was of significance 
that day? Yes, there was. For in a retired part 
of Edinburgh the wife of the Marquis and the 
Rev. John Carstairs during that morning were 
praying for the Marquis. They knew that the Mar- 
quis would be put to death. They wished him to 
die, if he must, so calmly that his’ death would show 
the power of Christian faith and would contribute 
to Christ’s glory in Scotland. They made one spe- 
cial plea for the Marquis, that the Lord would seal 
his charter by saying to him, “Son, be of good 
cheer ; thy sins be forgiven thee.” It was that very 
assurance that came into the heart of the Marquis 
as he turned to the fireplace in the prison, and it 
was that assurance, secured to him by others 
through prayer, that sustained him in his brave 
death. 

Nor do these instances stand alone. So soon as 
the facts are known, it becomes evident that the 
means whereby some of the most blessed events of 


life have been secured was prayer. The history of 
Yale University tells of a great revival which one 
hundred years ago stirred the whole college com- 
munity. The secret of the revival was, that a group 


eyed 
as 


‘A revival began and spread from class to class until 
almost every man in the college was led into faith 


in' Christ.” Mary, Queen of Scotland, realized 
that in John Knox the talent for prayer had been 
so cultivated that it. had become a mighty force. 


‘themselves to, earnest prayer for that definite thing. © 


She once declared, “I fear John Knox’s pre 


more than an army of ten thousand men.” 


It is impossible to estimate the power for useful- 


ness latent in hearts capable of prayer. No one 
conceived the power lying latent in steam until the 
spirit of steam, asserting itself, began to transform 
the earth. No one conceived the power lying latent 


~ in electricity until electricity, asserting itself, began . 
its world-wide ministry. The power lying latent 


in hearts capable of .prayer is similarly great. 


Luther prayed for the Diet of Nuremberg. He in-, . 
terceded with intense earnestness. He laid hold 
‘of the throne of grace with such power that he 
seemed to prevail with God. He felt sure, even 
before the Diet took action, that those who com- j 
posed it would stand firm in Reformation princi- . 
ples. And they did. The people of Enfield, Massa- — 


34 


ate 


a rian ee oer pm etn, 


| on The alent of Intercession 


om 


be blessed -to the good of souls. When the sermon . 


; ~ was preached the congregation left their pews, 


crowding up the pulpit stairs and asking what they 
might do to obtain the salvation of God. 

DeQuincey divides all literature into the literature 
of knowledge and the literature of power. As there 
is a literature of power so there is a prayer of power. 
It is the prayer of power of which we stand in need. 
A powerless Christian ought to be considered as 
great a misnomer as a powerless thunderbolt. If 
the talent of prayer should be cultivated as assidu- 

ously as the talent of business is cultivated, the re- 
~ sult would be that numberless people who never - 
can be forceful in speech, nor bounteous in benefi- 
cence, nor energetic in evangelism, would become 
as effective forces for the world’s help as any men 
and women who have ever lived. 

Mrs. Elizabeth Prentiss in one of her letters used 
the significant expression, “learning the mysterious 
art of prayer by an apprenticeship at the throne of 
grace.” How many of us have ever thought of 
“learning” to pray? Or, of “an apprenticeship-at 


-..the throne of grace?” In another sentence -Mrs. 


- Prentiss enlarges on this idea. She says: “I think 
35 ji 


chusetts® prayed. all night. that the sermon to hea _ 
preached. by. their” pastor Jonathan Edwards might ae 


' A Mighty Means of Usefulness 


many of the difficulties attending upon the subject 


of prayer would disappear if it could be regarded 


in early life as an art that must be acquired through 
daily, persistent habits with which nothing shall - 


be allowed to interfere.” Thus she makes “learn- 
ing” to pray as much of a training as learning to 
sing, or paint, or write. She exalts prayer into an 
“art”—and makes us realize that the same applica- 
tion, concentration, persistency and heartiness need- 
ed to become a sculptor, are needed by us if the tal- 
ent of prayer (possible to every one) reaches its 
greatest development. Happy the man who, like 
Epaphras commended of Paul, learns so well the 
lesson of prayer that his distinguishing characteris- 


tic is that he “always labors fervently in prayer for 


others.” 

What blessings are awaiting the world if we 
only develop the talent of prayer to its fullest pos- 
sibility! Has not the time come when we, one and 
all, will do our part to re-assert the power of the 
Christian church? Andrew Bonar with great sor- 


_ row wrote in his diary: “I work more than I pray.” »- 
Also he wrote: “I must at once return, through the . 


Lord’s strength, to not less than three hours a day 
spent in prayer and meditation upon the Word.” 


There is no doubt that God longs to have His 


= 36 


The Talent of Intercession 


— 


servants so love their fellows that they shall rest 


not day nor night in interceding in their behalf. He 
waits for the effectual fervent prayer. Oh, that 
thousands upon thousands of God’s people would 
awake to their possibility, and would become pow- 
erful in His Kingdom through learning to prevail 
with God in prayer! 


ae ea 


For Whom Cbrist Asks Intercession. 


The general classes of people for whom Paul 


asked our intercession have been considered. A 


very important inquiry now presents itself: Are 
__ there special persons indicated by Christ’s com-_ 
mands or practices who stand out with preéminence 


as persons for whom we should pray? 


When we study Christ’s own practices we find . 


five classes of people for whom He prayed or for 
whom He taught us to pray. One was the sick. 
He Himself healed the sick, using miracles. 

_ These miracles were Christ’s advertisements. 
They called attention to His wondrous power, His 
wondrous words, and His wondrous personality. 


He might have used ‘heralds to sound a trumpet 


and get the ears of the crowd whom He then would 
address. But He preferred to present Himself di- 


“rectly to men in the deeds of healing. Such healing . — 
was a blessing in itself. Such healing evidenced -- ae 
the kindliness of His heart and made clear His pur- — : . aS 
~ pose to relieve distress.. Such healing also, from ~ 


38 


—s 


ror Whom ‘Christ Asks. Intercession 


ee eee pa _ 


a aa Oa who could not be confused with any other. se 
Only once, if then, did Christ pray over the sick. 


One was brought to Him who was deaf and had an 
impediment in his speech, Christ took him aside, 


looked up to heaven, sighed, and healed him. _ 


“Looked up to heaven.” That is the only phrase in 
Christ’s life containing even a hint that He prayed 
over the diseased. He seems never to have asked 
Heaven’s aid to heal anyone. He always claimed 
that He had power in himself to heal. That one 
upward look we think was intended to assist the 
- observer. It helped the observer to associate the 
deed of healing with God above, and so it helped 
him to believe that the power whereby Christ 
wrought the miracle, was divine. 

But while Christ did not pray for the sick, He 
intimated that we should pray for them. A lunatic 
boy was brought by the boy’s father to Christ. The 
disciples had not been able to heal him. Christ 
healed the boy. The disciples inquired why they 
had failed to heal him. Christ answered that their 


failure was due to their lack of faith. But He im- - 


mediately added that a disease of this kind would 
not leave a man except “by prayer.” 
This reference to prayer seems to be a direct in- 


39&s:--%0 


= 343 Fy 


_A Mighty Means of Usefulness as 


~ timation that Christ expects us to pray for the sick. - 


It warrants us in bringing all our weak and suffer- 
nig ones to Him that they may be made whole. 
Christ Himself never refused the prayer addressed 
to Him by loving hearts for the healing of disease. 
“He healed them all.” Likewise He bade all who 
were weary and heavy laden come to Him, assur- 
ing them that He would give them rest. 

A second class for whom Christ taught us to 
pray were children. He did this by direct example. 
As Matthew states it, “Mothers brought young 
children to Christ that He should put His hands 
on them and pray.” 

The significance of this scene is often lost. Many 

- think of it, as though Christ merely placed His 
hands on their heads and said some kindly words 
over the children. No. He “prayed” for them. 
A blessing spoken by a godly man over a child is 
indeed in its very nature a prayer. Accordingly 
it is true that were John the Beloved here today, 
and were he, placing his hands on the forehead of a 
“little child presented to him, to say, “May God ever 
take care of you, and keep you, little child”—that 
blessing would be a prayer. 


But when Christ “prayed” over little children 


there must have been, it would seem, distinct in- 


. 40 


_>¥ 


. For Whom Christ Asks Intercession 


* ~- “.. tercession for them. We wonder what petitions 
_. He offered! We wonder whether the hearts of the “v 
mothers were satisfied when they heard the special : 
wishes He expressed for the children. The whole 
setting of the scene makes us feel that He did not 
ask for money, place, power or health. Rather He 
po asked that they might be heavenly minded, so that 
they should do Heaven’s work upon earth, and then 
do Heaven’s work in glory. 
There never can be too great and too earnest 
‘prayer for little children. “He who helps a child 
helps humanity with a distinctiveness, with an im- 
mediateness, which no other help given to human 
é creatures in any other stage of their human life 
i can possibly give again.” Children have in them- 
selves the making or unmaking of the world. Even 
while they are little children the characteristics of 
their lives are largely decided. Almost before par- 
ents and friends realize the fact, they are eight, ten me: 
2 and twelve years old. In most cases, by this time, 
character has taken its general bent. We must 
labor and pray very early if we are to reach chil- 
dren. It was so in Palestine when Christ was there.  - 
The boy of twelve became a citizen of Israel and en- 
tered the church. The girl at twelve was well on 
her way toward marriage. The statistics of the cities 


at 


41 


en aati eS. tot i a a a a 


a Age) Means of tisefulness™ ss 


S satis eat masses of children center, tela us 5 that’ a 3 
street boys are started upon their careers even. be- > Seale rat 
fore they are twelve. Captains of police, matrons = cencmegong 


~ of reform schools, and city missionaries report that ~~ ae . 
character, good or bad, is stamped upon children oe 
even before the children reach their teens. * 

All students of the religious experience make : 


similar report. The fathers and mothers who have 
children to be nurtured, the Sunday school teachers 
-who have scholars to be guided, the instructors who ~ 
through five days, and the nurses who through seven - 
days are charged with the care of young lives, have x 
a very grave responsibility. As goes the child, so : 
goes the world. If Satan can hurt children, he 
‘hurts the kingdom of heaven, and all that that 
kingdom stands for. Instead of our’ being careless 
concerning children, we should be sdlicitous and — 
even prayerful for them. Our prayer should be in 
_ the very spirit and to the very ends that character- 
ized Christ’s prayer for them—that they may belong 
to, and do the service of, the kingdom of heaven. 
..... The. third class for whom Christ taught us to~ «2 += 
> pray were disciples. This prayer also He taught = 
~ us by direct example. -. - Sees 
Sometimes He prayed for a particular disciple, — ae 


waht bed 
7 y' 


- as, for Peter: sometimes for the ‘Twelve, the special 
42s. 


= = For Whom Christ aes Intercession a 
<5 ae ones cute in His day were ‘charged: with heralding 
His truth: and sometimes for the whole -body. of... 
“e: = believers, present and future alike. He carried. ee = = 
- Christian people on His heart. He felt that the ~ Z 
greatest responsibility that ever devolved upon men - ~ 
was devolved upon them. As the Father had sent 
Him into the world, even so did He send them into 
the world. They were to be His representatives. 
They were to bring forth much fruit to His glory. 

So great was their mission that before He chose the 
_ twelve He sought God’s blessing in prayer. Later, 
as He was to ascend from Olivet, and leave His fol- 
lowers, He prayed for those followers. - 
Christian people need prayer. They are in the 
world to continue today the very work which-Christ 
~when here began. They are to seek the ‘needy, re- 
lieve the oppressed, deliver the imprisoned. They 
are to comfort the sorrowful and to rescue the 
sinner. Every soul of all humanity is to be cheered 
and brightened by them. Service is their distinc- 


— : 


* tive calling. It is for this they are chosen as Christ’s 
aa disciples. “Prayer then should be offered that every 
ee : communicant, every officer, every worker in the 
3 os Christian Church should answer to this call to = 
service. “I am glorified in them,” Christ said, and 


according to the faithfulness with which His dis- _ 
ciples do His work is Christ glorified among men. 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness 


.The three classes of persons that have been men- 
tioned as those for whom Christ taught us to pray,’ 


are distinct classes by themselves. We pray for 
them because we infer from His words or example 


that we should do so. Now comes the fourth class . 


for whom we are to pray. This fourth class is one 
for whom we are positively commanded to pray. 
“Pray for them that despitefully use you and 
persecute you, Christ said. What He charged 
us to do He Himself did. On Calvary, when men 


maligned and tortured Him, He prayed, “Father, 


forgive them, for they know not what they do!” 
The people for whom He thus prayed were the in- 
flamed and passionate multitudes that surrounded 
the cross. Prominent among them were the priests. 
The Scripture reads that these priests stirred up 
- the people to shout “Crucify!” and that the priests 


persuaded the people to choose Barabbas rather than 


Christ. : 

The Ober-Ammergau peasants, when they place 
the scene of the crucifixion on the stage, show the 
priests moving actively among the crowd. The 
priests whisper suspicions and breathe out hatred, 
until the.popular mind is alarmed and even embit- 


tered. The peasants make, as does the Scripture, — 


the priests the aggressive party in the crucifixion. 


: : 44 


—— 
oo 


| tal ed 


For Whom Christ Asks Intercession 


_ When Christ prayed, “Forgive them,” he prayed e 
_ for these very priests who despitefully used Him 


and persecuted Him. A few days later Pentecost 
came. Thousands of hearts turned to God in peni- 
tence. “And a great company of priests believed.” 
The prayer indeed was answered! 

It is not easy to pray for those that abuse us. 
We must have control of self and love to others 
to offer‘such prayer. The absence of bitterness is 
not enough. There must be the presence of sym- 
pathy. Christ was wonderfully wise when He com- 
manded this- prayer. Divided counsels are a hin- 
drance in any good cause. So long as jealousies ex- 
istéd between the army officers of our civil war, 
that war was a failure. So long as officers asserted 
their own dignity to the detriment of their fellow 
officers, there could not be success. Animosities 
had to be surrendered. Loyalty to a single com- 
mander had to be cherished. Then the war has- 
tened to its close. 


We are to pray for the divided camps of Chris- 
tendom. We are to pray that dissensions among 
God’s people shall cease. Like Moses of old, we 
are to rejoice.when others than ourselves have in- 
spiration from the Almighty, and say, “Let Eldad 
and Medad be among the prophets. Would God 
that all the people might prophesy !” 


> “A Mighty Means of Usefulness Be rae 


The hurt to a man’s ‘own “heart in cherishing 


_hatred is fearful. Had Christ’s spirit on the rosie 
- been bitter, the cross would have been the place of -© = 


His shame, not His glory.= He could not have died 


- in peace unless His heart was sweet. Hate is folly. 


It discolors vision and biases judgment. It makes 
the man of war nurse his wrongs and sulk in his 
tent when he should be on the battle line. Nothing 
has hindered the advance of Christ’s army more 
than the unkind feelings cherished by Christians 
towards those with whom they disagree. Such feel- — 
ings are to be overpowered with love. Every de- 
nomination must sacrifice its cherished distinctions 


rather than let those distinctions be a hindrance to 


Christ’s cause. Whatever embitters us against other 
Christians must be surrendered. Words like “Cal- 


vinism” and “Arminianism,” intended to be sources 


of love, must never-be sources of hate. Special doc- 
trines must not become idols to us and so stand be- 


tween God and the world’s good. Christian men 


cannot afford to quarrel. Quarreling incapacitates 


_for usefulness. _Quarreling hardens the heart to 
- the reception of truth. In praying for those who 


despitefully use us we do not pray that God will 
humble them to our special views or our special 
methods. Rather we pray that God will lead them 


46 


: _ For Whom Christ Asks Intercession 


; a8 shall seem wisest aad fa to Him, and will use” 


: =e “them to His own infinite glory. <5 22550 Bie = 
The last persons for whom Christ charged a us cou 
- to pray were laborers for His harvest field. <.* = E 


Here is a prayer that stands out by itself. . It. 
introduces us into a new realm of thought. Again ~~ 
and again this prayer is forgotten. Christ saw the 
multitudes. They came from cities and villages. 
They were pitifully ignorant. They were pitifully. 
weak. They were like sheep that do not know where 
pasturage and safety are—like shepherdless sheep 
that are exposed to every danger. These multitudes 
made direct appeal to His heart. His heart an- 
swered to that appeal. What heart is there, if it 
have the least degree of tenderness, that does not 
pity the misled, the mistaken, and the imperiled? 
Seeing the multitudes and knowing their need, He 

~ said, “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the /abor- 


ers are few.” 
What Christ then said many another has since 


E repeated. ‘So many needy lives in the world and 
Zi: so few people to help them!” The deeper we see 
ee into the hearts of men, the more we realize their 
RS sorrows and their sins. There is not a village so 


small but that in it there are souls to be visited, 
comforted, and uplifted. Not a town so orderly 


47 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness 


but that in it there are vices to be fought.- Nota - 
city so evangelized but that in it multitudes are on 
the way to destruction. Who shall purify the homes 
of squalor, who take the children from the streets 
and save them, who protect the boys and girls of 
sixteen and direct their youthful energy into holy 
pleasures? The market places need righteousness, 
the court rooms need justice, the schools need con- 
secration, the churches need thousands upon thou- 
sands of workers. “Come over and help us,” is 
the cry that is ringing out from multitudes that no 
man can number. Politics needs integrity, govern- ° 
ment needs faithfulness, the army and the navy need 
spirituality. Missionaries everywhere are calling 
for men and women to enter unoccupied fields. 

It is startling to consider that the one great 
prayer laid upon Christ’s people as a people is this 
prayer for laborers. In general terms we say each 


1? 


day, “Thy kingdom come!” In specific terms we 
are to say, “Send forth laborers into thy harvest.” 
Praying for our enemies is usually a help to our 
personal sanctification. But praying for laborers is 
a help to the whole world’s salvation. ‘ 

“Today, as always, the great lack of the King- 


dom is laborers.” Every Christian enterprise la- 


ments because so few will help in its work. Every 
48 


a 
a) 


For Whom Christ Asks Intercession — 


church is asking for Sunday school teachers, who, . _ 


like William E. Dodge, will lead souls to Christ. 
Merchant in New York City as he was, this man 
so knew and so taught the Bible that more than 
one hundred persons declared that he had brought 
them to the Christian life. 

If men and women in one city like Chicago would 
enter dwellings, sitting down as a friend, cherish- 
ing interest in every individual child and beautify- 
ing the home, ten thousand of them could find 
opportunity for usefulness. A home thus made rest- 
ful and attractive might prove a saving blessing to 
the father and the elder sons as they return at night. 

The word “laborers,” as Christ used it, is not to 
be limited to any particular set or sets of people. 
Laborers'may.be those who speak or those who 
write: may be those who give counsel, or money, or 
influence, or time. All who are engaged in efforts 
for the welfare of humanity are “laborers.” It is 
true that Columbus, not Isabella, discovered Amer- 
ica. But it is also true that unless Isabella had 
put her jewels at the use of Columbus, Columbus 
would not have discovered America. The direct 
and indirect laborers in God’s harvest field are now _ 
very many. We name all men laborers whose pur- 


pose it is to elevate statesmanship, or purify litera-_ 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness - ae 


‘ture, or sanctify commerce. Wherever there are 
those who fight against sin and strive to rescue the «=~ 
perishing, there are God’s laborers. In homes, fac- =: ~ 


tories, railways, farms, there are great multitudes SI 
of such. . 

But granted that there are these multitudes thus 
engaged in their diversified efforts for human good, 
still the one prayer Christ commanded us to offer 
for “laborers” needs always to be upon our lips. 

So many men brought up in Christian surround. 
ings, are not “laborers!” They go to Alaska. Their: - 
single purpose is to get gold. Their interests are 
wholly selfish. As a result of their selfishness their 
influence upon the natives is destructive. Were they | 
“laborers” how- different their influence would be! 

So with many of the troops that. go to the Phil- 
ippines. They drink, they, carouse, they carry evil 
with them. So with many of the merchants that 
enter the treaty ports of China. They relax their 
principles. They live impurely. How they disgrace 
Christianity ! How they hinder the “missionary ! 


= ie merchants as they are, they were in China = 


s “laborers!”. What.a plessine instead of a curse, — 


ae ‘would be! ~ 


The great purpose of every Christian home is to 
taise up “laborers.” The one specific prayer Christ- 


50 


—_ 


- 


i 


“For Whom Christ Asks Intercession =A des xen ee 


ie % ey 3 es 
ny . . 


ae “5 taught fattiers and paiers to offer concerning their — rer 
- children is that they may be “laborers.” It is to this ~ “= 


Es 

end that parents are to feed them, protect them, oy teiatee 
LS ee 

educate them. Children fail of their glory unless © => 


they become “laborers.” Parents fail of their re- re 
sponsibility unless they beseech God to ae their zs Era 
children for His service. 

The words “send forth” are in the Greek one 
word. That word, used by Christ, is a very strong _ 
word. It means “drive out’?—‘“thrust out.” It is . 
the very word applied to Christ when He, finding 
the Temple occupied by money changers and those 
‘z who sold doves, “cast out” those intruders. “It is 


Parents, pastors,.and teachers are to pray that God 
will “thrust out” those dear to them into the harvest 


[Pee also the word used when Christ “cast out” devils. 
| 
{ 


¢ field. They are to pray that God will send such an 
; irresistible conviction into their hearts as will com- 
pel them to do the labor of the harvest. “May. my 
child have no rest until he is Thy laborer.” So may 


TPE Feke 


AGA IR 
ae ate 


we, so should we pray. 
Yes, unless a family, a church, an institution ex- 


f Be .-.~ ists to raise up-laborers, it fails of its mission. All 
== . teaching, all friendship, all art, all literature answer 
a to their supreme end when they help create as . 
é tian “laborers.” 


~ 


ae st 


[wr 


TEL ee 
eid 


ROAD 
ee 
’ 

\ 


WoL, 


- A Mighty Means of Usefulness 23 = ue 
pes We are to pray that thousands upon thousands of . x 
laborers may be thrust forth. They are needed ino 


America and in Africa. They are needed in every 
school, business, and church in the world. May we 
never, never forget that there is but one specific 
prayer which we are charged by Christ to offer con- 
cerning His kingdom. That prayer is, that God 
“would thrust forth laborers into His harvest.” 


» 52 


The Comforter Sougbt For Service. 


The prayer for the Holy Spirit as the Comforter ! 
Do people understand the real significance of this 
special prayer? Have they a distinct idea of what 
is involved in it when they offer it for themselves 
and of what is involved in it when it becomes an in- 
tercession for others? 

The prayer for the Holy Spirit as the Holy Spirit 
we are taught to offer with frequency and freedom. 
We cannot be too urgent in seeking for all the gifts 
of the Spirit; love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kind- 
ness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and self-con- 
trol. 

It rejoices us to know that God is more willing’ 
to give the Holy Spirit in these gifts than earthly 
parents are to give good gifts unto their children. 
“Come, Holy Spirit!” has long been the cry of the 
church, and it always will be the cry of the church. 

But the prayer for the Holy Spirit as the Com- 
forter seems to be a very special prayer. Its signifi- 
cance was indicated when Christ’s prayer for the 


53 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness 


‘ Holy Spirit as the Comforter. received its answer ma 
at Pentecost. Many public assemblages of Chris- — 


tian workers voice that answer. The more intent ~~ 


. those who compose such assemblages are upon per- 


suading others to obey the will of God, the oftener 
the prayer is offered for the Holy Spirit the Com- 
forter and the deeper the earnestness that is ex- 
pressed in it.. Where formality of religious life 
prevails and where sense of responsibility for the 
spiritual welfare of others is weak, the prayer is 
offered less and less frequently and less and less 
fervently.- Self-centered people and self-satisfied 
churches give it small place in their petitions. 

Years ago a band of men and women in the Lo-- 
diana Mission, India, looking out upon the religious 
needs of their own country and of Europe, America 
and the world at large, saw how great these needs 


-are. Their hearts became deeply stirred. The de- 


sire took possession of them that mankind every- 
where should speedily know the fulness of the bless- 
ing of the Gospel. Inspired by this desire they is- 


-= sued:a call for a world-wide observance of a Week - 
~ of Prayer. The one supreme purpose of that Week — 


should be, to pray that the Holy Spirit would use 


the church to the salvation of the world. 


_The prayer for the Holy Spirit as the Comforter 
Bays 54 . 


_ The fretces Sought for Service 


: ‘is a-prayer Christ offered for others. - He Saiee 


e : of this prayer, offered by Him, as having a twofold — = 


suggestion. First, it suggested His love for His 
disciples. Second, it suggested His desire for a 
particular kind of blessing on them. It was, then, 
Christ’s love for His disciples that caused Him to 
__ Offer it. They were soon to lose His comradeship. 
As a consequence they would need spiritual -guid- 
ance, courage and strength. This was especially 
true in view of the fact that the responsibility of rep- 
resenting Him before the world and advancing His 
kingdom would, with His departure, devolve upon 
them. Therefore He now asked, and stated that He 
would continue to ask, that the Comforter, that is 


a Spiritual Power from Heaven, should enter their 


hearts, directing, emboldening and supporting them. 
Thus, so far as he could protect them from loneli- 
ness and weakness, He would protect them—by se- 
curing for them special help. Accordingly he asked 
God to give them the Holy Spirit the.Comforter, or 
as Wycliffe called Him, the “Helper.” 

The English word Comforter means primarily a 
Strengthener, a Supporter. People of Christ’s day 
_ were accustomed to the Greek word used by Christ, 


'“Paraclete,” or Comforter. It meant one who went . 
into the court room when a person appeared before 


55 


ay 


~* _— 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness we 


a tribunal and stood at his side, giving him counsel, : 
_cheering his spirit and advocating his cause. Such - 
a comforter was a most valuable aid. He helped 
his friend to keep a clear head and answer wisely. 
He saved his friend from perturbation, as he sug- 
gested the action to be taken at any given moment, 
The mission of the comforter was to cheer and 
strengthen him at whose side he stood. 


When Christ interceded for the Comforter, His 
disciples were about to appear before the world as 
before a tribunal. They were to stand in a great 
court room and be witnesses for the truth as it is in 
Christ. The supreme responsibility laid upon them 
was to plead the cause of Christ in the presence of 

‘their fellows and persuade others to accept the ~ 
claims of Christ. For this great and important re- 
sponsibility they needed help. Therefore Christ so 
particularly and earnestly sought for them the gift 
of the Comforter. 


There was one special designation in this prayer 
that Christ linked with the “Comforter,” namely, 
“the Spirit of Truth.” This “Spirit of Truth” was 
indeed to be “another” Comforter, even as Christ 
Himself up to this time had been their first Com- 
forter. The Spirit was to do for them in instruction, 
- in counsel, in guidance, just what Christ hitherto 
had done. 


56 


The Comforter Sought for Service 


But there was one particular feature of the 
Spirit’s work which Christ desired should have pre- 
éminent recognition and so He named the Comforter, 
the “Spirit of Truth.” These disciples were going 
out into life to bear witness to Himself, the Truth. 
What they particularly needed therefore was a 
Helper who should put into their hearts the words, 
thoughts and purposes of Christ, the Truth, and 
should enable them to manifest Christ, the Truth, 
to the world. So Christ prayed that they might have 
the Comforter as*“The Spirit of Truth.” Having 
Him they would have the very spirit of Jesus Christ 
Himself and would be endowed for oe work Jesus 
Christ wished of them. 

We say of a man who has listened to the thrill- 
ing stories of a hunter until he is on fire to go where _ 
the hunter has gone and to do what the hunter has 
done, that the man has caught the hunter’s spirit. 
A youth listening to a missionary may become so 
aflame to visit the unenlightened’ and even, if need 
be, lay down his life for them, that we say of the 
youth, he has caught the missionary’s spirit. So the’ 
Holy Spirit coming to men was to impart such views 
of Christ’s character and work that Christ and His 
work should be their inspiration, and they catching 
Christ’s spirit should live to exemplify Christ and 


57 


~ them to present. Hae was to give them power to. 
know the right, to bless their fellows and to honor ~*~ = 
Christ. The*Spirit of Truth would encourage them 
for Christian activity and would sustain them in 

_~ Christian suffering. He would create a great body 
_ of men, who like knights would rally to the defense ae. 
of right and would battle for the downfall of wrong. : = 

A special condition of mind is requisite that the oe = 

- Holy Spirit may possess men as Christ then prayed Ease : 
__ that the Spirit might possess His disciples. The Bese 
)- Holy Spirit in this mission of the Comforter, the a3 
- Paraclete, is intended only for those who are ready Bee: 
to glorify Christ before the world. The man that 

is indifferent whether his influence tells as power- 


fully as possible for helping Christ’s cause cannot 
-teceive the Holy Spirit as the Comforter. Such a 
"man is in no sympathy with the particular work He 
“has come to accomplish. Such a man is not a tool 
meet for the Spirit’s use. Ananias and Sapphira, 
~ ‘swayed by selfish purposes, cannot be the Spirit’s in- — 
ses strument, nor can Demas, loving this present world ~~ 
more than the souls for whom Christ died. No “ 
person can ever have the Comforter who wishes 
Him as an opiate. Such a person has no worthy ~ 
«8 


“The Comforter Sought for. Service ee we A 


aie “=eonception ‘of the Comforter’s mission, nor $24 he = AF 


=A any true realization of what the Comforter wishes. Sees 
=* done. People who ask to receive Him for these ~ =~ 
{== ~~ purposes alone, have no idea of His particular func-> ~ =~ 
tion in the kingdom of grace. Unless they wish ~~ 
te Him that they may be better fitted for serving .— 
oss Christ in the lives of others, they are unprepared ~~ 
ae to profit by his presence. Inert rock that has no 


intention of producing vegetation is not advantaged 
by sunlight. It is the meadow that awaits the sun- 
light in order to bring forth grass and flowers that 
alone is advantaged by the sunlight. 

There are many people who need to have their 
understandings aroused to a clear, pererption of the 
mission of the Comforter>~ He comes to: prepare 
men and women for Christian usefulness. That is 
His one single purpose.. «When_we pray that He 
‘may be given to a boy; our only ‘reason for so pray- 
ing is that the boy may be fitted to do something for 


bi 


a SNE 
Ah 


Tr 


i tn he nem ee 
has ty itn 
¥ adap si 
Lave . 
_ a hI ie" 
i, we itt 


WADI Wi 


‘: Jesus Christ among his ‘comrades or in his home. 
= = This intercession cannot, be, offered for one who is 
Pa —- to continue sluggish in/works of, beneficence. ~The 


coming of the Comforter isla trumpet tallsto action 
—and that action, earnest Christan Usefulrtess. E 

Wonder is often expressed that when the day of 
Pentecost was come, the men and women who met 


(= = 59 


f 
H 


bad 


2 5 NCE D | p 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness 


the occasion were so brave and ready. The ex- 


planation: of their bravery and readiness is this: - _ 
Christ, previous to His Ascension, charged them to © 


wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit should come 
upon them as He had prayed that the Comforter 
might come. What did they need the Holy Spirit 
for? Why should they wait a single day for Him 
when time was so precious? What would they do 
with this gift of power through the Holy Spirit 
when they should receive it? The answer. to these 


questions is found in the mission of the Comforter.- 


He -was not awaited to give them a sense of for- 
giveness, nor to be a lullaby of peace in their hearts, 
nor to teach them moral ideas—but to empower them 


fora definite and special service. A particular work 


had been’ entrusted» ‘to them. Speaking generally 
they were to be Christ’s laborers i in the harvest field 
of need. Speaking specifically they were to be His 
witnesses. | They were to:advocate His cause, de- 
clare His aanthe tell His love and testify to His 
saving power in human. life. SThis they were to do 
, everywhere; ‘in Jerusalen® and to the uttermost parts 
of the “earth. “In ‘view, \of this specific service, this 


witness bearing: Christ prayed for the Comforter to ) 


come to them.. The Comforter was to be to them 
the great dynamic whereby they could fulfil their 
, 60 


5 . 
: 


me The Comforter Sought for Service 


angi? dae 


mission. He was to empower them to do what “ 
devolved upon them as witnesses. 

They recognized that this was the ‘purpose of 
Christ’s prayer. Accordingly when the sound as 
of a rushing mighty wind came from heaven, and 
the tongues of fire ajypeared (exterior signals indi- 
cating to the disciples that the hour for action had 


— a 
i ib Bey 


ae 


arrived) these men and women who had simply 
been waiting to bear their testimony sprang forward 
to give it. The conception of the Christian life that 
animated their whole being was, brin gin g the world 
to Christ through witness bearing for Him. This 
conception the Holy Spirit now told them should be 
expressed in deeds. He enabled them to express it, 
enlightening their minds in the knowledge of Scrip- 
ture, kindling their bravery, giving them utterance 
and ‘imparting power to win souls. The prayer for 
the Holy Spirit as the Comforter means service for 
Christ in saving men. Irresponsibility for the wel- 
fare of others, disinclination to effort, withdrawal 


from the world’s woe are as far from this prayer as 

east is from west. When Christ prayed this prayer, 

He wished God to take those few men who were 

His disciples and so charge them with the forces of 

Heaven that they would rise triumphant above all 

hesitation and would spring forward to conquer this 
61 


e 
\ 

: 

E 
L 

j 

I. 
). 


cA A) Means of Usefulness 


oak in els name. Nothing should terrify. nor __ op aS 


deter them. They should go anywhere, speak to 
any man, endure any payee in Se to 
lead men to believe in Christ. » 


Sometimes in the campaign ae an army the bugle — 


call suddenly sounds. The camp has been asleep. 
But the hour has come for fighting and the bugle 
sounds the notes of “battle.” Immediately the men 
are awake, Siraightway horses are saddled, ar- 


tillery is unlimbered and ten minutes after the call - 


the whole camp is transformed. The army“ that 


_ten minutes before appeared so impotent and in- 
deed was so impotent, through that bugle call has ~ 


become powerful. Let opportunity for action now 
come, and the army will manifest its might. It will 
answer to the end for which it has been created and 
it will fight with energy and daring. \ 

The prayer for the Comforter is the prayer that 
God will sound His bugle call in the heart of the 


Christian and will arouse him to aggressive action. 


~The Christian i is no more to sit at ease. No more 


-is he to dream of himself, of his home, and of his 


pleasures. He is now a ‘soldier in the field, enlisted 

under Christ and for Christ, to do a soldier’s service 

He is to fight his captain’s battles, resisting the evil 

of life and trying to draw men to follow his leader 
62 ~ 


= the eyes of the people at Jerusalem and told them — 


that they needed a Saviour. When it was answered. - 
in Pilkington’s heart he felt that he must go to“ 


Uganda, take up Mackay’s work and carry forward 
the interests for which Mackay had lived and died. 
When that prayer was answered in Mary Lyon’s 
heart she founded the Mount Holyoke training 
school where girls should catch the spirit of Christ’s 
life and be inspired to redeem the world. When that 
prayer was answered in F. B. Meyer’s heart, he 
started, with an energy entirely new, to reach every 
living man with words that glowed with the love of 
Christ. 

The prayer for the Holy Spirit the Comforter is 
one that many a parent hesitates to offer for his 
child: it involves too much for the child. The an- 
swer to that prayer may thrust the child out of his 
present luxurious surroundings, into efforts, self- 
denials and sacrifices from which the parent desires 
to protect his child. That prayer for a child may 
“make a child leave home and go forth, as Henry 
Martyn did, to meet responsibilities otherwise avoid- 
able: may end forever his being “an ornament to 


society,” and, because of his zeal and persistency, - 


may cause all society to look on him askance. 


~ 63 


nee 
= 


- 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness 


Nor does every man dare to offer this prayer for 


himself. Students who offer it for themselves may , 


find God straightway showing them paths of use- 
fulness so different from those they cherish, that 
to walk in them will require a wholly new plan of 
life. Young men in theological seminaries who pray 
this prayer for themselves may see fields of oppor- 
tunity opening before them such as they never have 
been willing to consider. Men and women who pray 
it for themselves may see their business and social 
practices in such a new light, that they will be 
ashamed to continue those practices and will have 
to change their methods. 

The prayer for the Comforter is a very searching 
prayer. It is the prayer that answered gives the 
church power. Its answer causes the church to 
break loose from listlessness and all hindrances, and 
become a giant—mighty to the pulling down of sin’s 
strongholds and to the upbuilding of Zion’s palaces. 
We believe in this prayer. In our heart of hearts 
we thoroughly believe in it. We wish every youth 


would offer it for himself and every parent would ° 


offer it for his child. Then the age of religious in- 
difference would end. Then the age of religious 


chivalry and knighthood would begin. Pentecosts” 


would be wherever the Christian church is. There 
N 64 


The Comforter Sought for Service 


would be no more servants of the Lord sleeping in 
the laps of Delilahs. There would be multitudes of 
mighty men abroad in the earth, and their testimony 
for Jesus would be glorious. 

We do well to intercede for the Comforter in the 
hearts of Christian people. His coming giveth power 
to the faint and increaseth strength to him that hath 
no might. Let the Comforter come to His church— 
ready and eager to rescue individual souls—and that 
church will be fair as the morn, clear as the sun and 
terrible as an army with banners. 

Even so may the Holy Spirit the Comforter come! 


65 


Special Petitions for Our Beloved. 


Once a peculiar discussion arose among some un- 
dergraduates gathered in a college room at Cam- 
bridge, England. The question had been asked, 
“What kind of a man would you like to have at your 


bedside in case you were dying?” So it was pro- 


posed that each should write under cover the name 
of the minister he would wish with him in such cir- 
cumstances. Papers were brought out, each wrote 
a name, the papers were folded, collected and read. 
To the surprise of all each one had written the 
same name and that name was the name of one of 
the least mentioned ministers of Cambridge. The 
minister was a quiet man whose church was never 


~~ crowded. But quiet and lacking in brilliancy as 


he was, the minister was known_to be a man of 
prayer, who cared more for God’s blessing on 


others than for men’s applause of himself. These 


undergraduates somehow believed in him and in his 

prayer = 

An. earnest man’s prayer is a force for good. 
66 


Special Petitions for Our Beloved 


Abraham had influence with God for Sodom. Again 


' and again Abraham prayed that God would spare 
‘Sodom from destruction, and every time he so 


prayed God yielded to his wish. No one now knows, 
no one ever will know—until eternity dawns—the 
evils that have been averted from human lives by 
the prayers of others. 

Besides averting evils from others the prayers of 
loving hearts have secured blessings to them. A 
young man at Dothan was so alarmed because of 
the seemingly overwhelming forces that threatened 
Israel, that his heart failed him. But Elisha prayed 
and said, “Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he 
may see.” Thereupon the young man looking up to 
the mountain that was near by saw the mountain 


. filled with horses and chariots of fire, ready to de- 


fend Israel against the enemy. Immediately the 
young man’s courage asserted itself and he became 
fearless. 

True love for others is intended to inspire prayer 
for them. Such love was in Paul’s heart for the 
Philippian Church. Words, of endearment were. 
often on his pen when he wrote to-them. He called 
them “My brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, 


- my joy and my crown.” That love led him to pray 


for them. This was his prayer: 
a 


A Mee Means of- Usefulness 


“THAT YOUR LOVE MAY ABOUND YET MORE AND. a 


MORE IN SALES Se AND IN ALL JUDGMENT, , tae 


“THAT YE MAY APPROVE THINGS THAT ARE EX- ©" 


fl I 


CELLENT, « 

“THAT YE MAY BE SINCERE AND WITHOUT OF- 
FENSE TILL THE DAY OF CHRIST: 

“BEING FILLED WITH THE FRUITS OF RIGHTEOUS- 
NESS, WHICH ARE BY JESUS CHRIST, 

“UNTO TEE GLORY AND PRAISE OF Gop.” 


This prayer has four great petitions. The first ~ 


of them is, “that your love may abound yet more 
and more in knowledge and 1m all judgment.” . 

Sometimes we ask ourselves, what special requests 
shall we make for others? This prayer removes all 
uncertainty. Our requests certainly should be, that 


others may have increasingly loving dispositions _ 


that are at once intelligent and discriminating. 


Paul has a remarkable way of putting words to- 


gether. In small, compact sentences he says much 
and says that much judiciously. To him a loving dis- 


position was the supreme product of Christianity. ~~ 
‘In the description he gives in his first letter to the + : 
Corinthian church of the characteristics and uses of 


love, he makes love the best possession that can be 


> 
ce 


_ held by the human heart. “Love never faileth.” ae 


Eloquent talking will some day be valueless. In- 
68 


Special Petitions for Our Beloved 


_ formation, though it be encyclopedic, will eventually 
be disappointing. So too will luxury and applause. 


. But a loving disposition will always ‘be valuable and 


satisfying. . Unselfish interest in others is a last- 
ing joy and an unceasing benediction. Fellow man 
needs love, God rejoices in love and eternity per- 
petuates love. Love is the immortal part of our 
being, for it is the only part worthy of immortality. 

When anyone prays for another “that his love’ 


may abound yet more and more” he prays a great 


prayer for him. What strength and joy and noble- 
ness would characterize men if in every soul that 
now has some love, that love should “abound!” The 
good in many a man is small and inexpressive. In 
defense and explanation of him we often are obliged 
to say: “If the secret springs of that man’s life 
could be seen, it would be known how many noble 
traits he has!” But the pitifulness is, that a friend 
has to insist that the noble traits exist. The lost 
piece of money was in the house. No one denied it 
was there. But a great search was requisite to find 
it, and bring it to light! ? 


That your love may “abound.” Once I went into. 


a palatial home and found at every step, yes, almost 
at every half step, some beautiful article, brought 
from Italy or Egypt, India or Japan. As these orna- 


69 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness 


~ ments, whichever way I looked, filled my eye, I said, — 
“Beautiful things abound in this house!” The heart 

in which love “abounds” is a blessed heart. Gener- - 
ous instincts and gracious forgivenesses are in it. 

Tender sympathies are in it. It has no place for 

envies and jealousies. ° Anger and malice, hatreds 

and grudges, every little and every large unloving- Pe 
ness are crowded out of the heart. When sunlight — 
*“abounds” in a house, darkness must fly away. 
When warmth “abounds” in a heart, no room is left 
for coldness. Our world would become unspeak- 
ably sweet and helpful, if in all Christian hearts lov- 
ing kindness abounded “yet more and more.” The 
most attractive lives would become even more at- 
tractive. Men like Drummond and Peabody would 
take on a new winsomeness. Even the weakest and 
least pleasing Christians would begin to glow with 
beauty. Harshness and bitterness would go, as 
mists go before the rising sun—and these weakest 
and least pleasing Christians would be strong and 
bright. That which in a man’s own soul tastes 


sweetest to the soul itself is love. That which in ee ae 
man’s own mind most refreshes the mind itself is’ is 
love. As love abounds “yet more and more,” con- s 
tent abounds, joy abounds, godliness abounds. i ia: 


Reference has already been made to the fact that 
70 


Special Petitions for Our Beloved 


Paul used words judiciously. In this very petition 
he so uses them. Notice the full statement of this. 
petition: “that your love may abound yet more 
and more in knowledge and in all judgment.” : 

The words “knowledge” and “judgment” safe- 
guard the petition and make it an exceedingly wise 
one. “Knowledge” means acquaintance with the 
facts of a given situation in which love is drawn out: 
“judgment” means discernment of the proper meth- 
ods in which love should express itself. What Paul 
had in mind was that these Philippians should love 
intelligently, should use “sense” in their affection 
and in the expression of their affection. Love may 
become the sport of every impulse. Unwise love 
has wrought great evil in the world. Sometimes 
such love has been like a frenzy. Paul prays that 
it may never be a frenzy. He wishes it to be deep 
and strong and full-volumed, but never like a river 
that breaks down its dam or like a fire that destroys 
its chimney. Love is not to run away with judg- 
ment, but the rather is to be controlled and directed 
by judgment. 

When the Crusades were proclaimed in Europe, 
thousands of people, impelled by the purest motives, 
rushed into the Crusades. They loved Christ: they 
were ready to do and even to die that Christ’s 


eA Mighty Means of Usefulness re SR 


sepulchre might be rescued from the Moslem. 


enthusiasm of the hour swept them off their, feet. .=- 
Carried captive by a love that did not stop to con- 


sider what was involved in their action, they bade ~~ 
- farewell to their homes and started for the Holy 
~Land, as unprepared for travel as an unarmed 
soldier is for battle. As a consequence they fell by 
the wayside or perished by disease. 

There is no contradiction between love and in- 
telligence. They are meant to act in harmon). 
We are convinced that intelligent love is possible 
_when we study a heart like that of Moses. He loved’ 
the children of Israel so intensely that for their wer. 
fare he would willingly sacrifice his very life. Bu 

_intense as his love was, it was always directed ty 
wisdom. Accordingly love sought out the best bles:i- 
ings and the safest situations that could be desired 
for Israel. , : 

Paul himself is a similar illustration of the unioe. 

of love and intelligence. He was very magnanimous 


me “and tender hearted. He exemplified the love he su 


- emphatically described. . And still, however devoteg = i 


““he was to others, he never said a foolish word tu = ~~ 


them, nor did he ever extend a hurtful sympathy. ~ 


To pray that the sphere of love may be “in knowl: ee 


edge and judgment” is to pray that the kind heare 
ss 


a 


~ pecial Petitions for a Beloved 


“ete may not make mistake in its iiddneoe’ hurting ‘thee re 


very ones whom it designs to help. Wise love saves ~ 


- parents from unduly petting their children. Wise ~-» 


-love in blessing others leaves no sorrow. When 
“love abounds yet more and more in knowledge and 
all judgment” human hearts grow very sweet ‘and 
the world is greatly helped. 

The second petition in Paul’s prayer for the Phil- 
ippians is “that ye may approve things that are ex- 
cellent.” spake tite ; . 

One day a son came home in rags and disgrace, 
and said, “Father, I have sinned.” Yes, he had 
sinned. He had left his. father’s house when his 
father wished him to stay at home, and he had done 
many shameful deeds. His life had brought dis- 
honor to himself and grief to his father. When, 
returning, he said, “I have sinned,” he told the 
truth. . 

But there never would have been occasion for any 
such confession as this, if he had always “approved 
things that are excellent.” His mistake and his sor- 
~ row were all due-to the fact that he had approved 
things that were not excellent. . ; 

The word “approve” has an alternative reading : 
in the margin, where the word “try” appears as its 
possible substitute. “Try” suggests familiar expe- 


73 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness __ 


riences: A young’man hears warnings against de- 
ception, profaneness and impurity. He says I will 
merely “try” them and see what they are. Then he 
“tries” a deception, a profaneness, an impurity. The 
way of “trying” evil is often the way of experiencing 
death. Boys and men go to destruction simply by 
trying inferior and hurtful things. The mere tast- 
ing of evil arouses within them an appetite for evil, 
and the poison of wrong enters every vein of their 
life. For a man to try things not excellent when 
he may try things that are excellent, is both folly and 
sin. 

But no wiser and safer course of conduct can be 
suggested than that of “trying” things that are ex- 
cellent. It is the course of conduct that leads to 
holy character. 


“O, make but trial of His love, 
Experience will decide 

How blest are they and only they 
Who in His love abide.” 


\ 


Discernment is needed to know the things that 
are excellent. Therefore it was that Paul prayed 
for “knowledge and judgment.” “The eyes of the 
understanding must be opened if good is to be 
recognized as good though it be in rags, and evil 
is to be recognized as evil though it comes as an 


74 


Special Petitions for Our Beloved 


angel of light. Deception is on every hand. It came . 


to Eve, it came to Esau, it came to Solomon. It 
lurks in every society where some comrade exerts 
a pernicious influence, it waits in every street where 
some miscreant whispers an evil solicitation. 

The men and women who, always being able to 
know the things that are excellent, approve them, 
are sure to be splendid specimens of Christian 
beauty. “Excellent!” The word makes us think of 
things that rise up high, like the great mountains 
that tower above the foothills and have their summits 
in the skies. “Excellent !” The word speaks to us 
of graces that are the supreme graces—the lofty 
graces of far-advanced holiness, of perfect peace, of 
Christlike joy. He who has so long “tried the ex- 
cellent things” that they have become incorporated 
into his being, has very exalted ideals and very ex- 
alted joys. He cannot demean himself to the low 
and the soiled. 

The third petition in Paul’s prayer for the Philip- 
pians is “that ye may be sincere and without of- 
fense till the day of Christ.” 

There is a wealth of significance in the adjective 
“sincere” as Paul used it. Our English translators 
chose a strong word when they translated Paul’s ad- 


jective “sincere.” Sincere is a Latin word meaning 
75 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness | 


without wax (sine cera). The Latins applied it to 
a vase that did not need to be patched up but was ° 
perfectly whole. Sometimes vases had cracks which ~ 
were concealed by wax. But a sincere vase had no 


faults of any kind needing to be covered. So a sin- 
cere man is a genuine man, free from flaws, ine 
and whole in every respect. 

But Paul’s Greek adjective really means “proved 
in the sunlight.” It suggests a type of character 
that can stand the strongest inspection, A cloth seen 
in the dim or in the artificial light of a store appears 
one thing. Take that cloth out into the sunlight 
and it is seen to be another thing. David seemed 
fair so long as no sunlight fell upon him, but when 
Nathan made him stand where the sunlight fell 
directly upon him, then David was no longer fair 


but foul. Judas in the shadow was a friend: Judas . ~ 


in the sunlight was a traitor. The sunlight is a re- 
vealer. When the sunlight of full scrutiny falling 


on motives causes those motives to appear brighter © 


and purer, the sunlight reveals a magnificent char- 
acter. It is this feature of Christ’s life that is sO 


stantly saw him, and still not one of them all could 
find a flaw in His character. Even the man who 


betrayed Him was obliged to testify to Christ’s spot- 
76 


A 


22a unique + “it was spent in the open, where men con- _ 


aed 


« «athe 
SSO PS 


Special Petitions for Our Beloved 


ee 


~ Jessness as he declared “I have betrayed innocent 
__ blood. > AX 

~ The men of today who, “proved i in the sunlight, + 
“are seen to be pure and unselfish are the men who 
draw their families and their associates to Christ. 
Sooner or later the searchlight of inspection falls 
_upon every one. He whose integrity and high- 
mindedness then become the more apparent, is the 
man who most glorifies the name of Christian and 
most adds power to the Christian Church. 

This third petition asks that men be sincere and 
. also, “without offense.” An offense is that which 
causes people to stumble. Ifa stone or log or animal 
is in a pathway and people stumble over it, that 
stone, log or animal is an offense. In the olden time 
special roadways led to the “cities of refuge.” The 
fleeing man who could reach one of these cities 
ahead of his pursuer was safe. Great attention was 
paid to these roadways. Everything that could pos- 
sibly cause a runner to stumble was removed from 
them. The purpose was to make the way to salva- 
tion clear—without a single “offense” in it. To 
leave in the roadway one stone that would cause the 
runner to fall and so to fail of reaching the city of 
refuge was a terrible wrong. 

So today it is a terrible wrong to be an offense to 


rie 


A Mighty Means of Uscfulness 


any one on his way to the city of God. Good things 
left undone, as well as evil things done, may make 
us an offense. If our virtues are not bright, our 
very dimness may cause the ruin of others. The low 
burning of the lamp in the lighthouse has been 
known to wreck vessels. To be silent, giving no 
alarm when danger approaches, is to let our brother 
be unprepared for the danger. The man that is 
“without offense” is a great spiritual helper. To go 
through one’s whole life never hindering one single 
soul from being better but the rather aiding many 
souls toward God and the joys of heaven, is an ex- 
perience we may well wish for ourselves and may 
well seek for others. ; 

“Till the day of Christ.” Such is the ending of 
this petition to ““be sincere and without offense.” 
Some day the Master is to appear. All things then 
will be seen in His light. That light will search 
men’s hearts and lives even as the sunlight has 
failed to do. Men shall be completely revealed to 
themselves and completely declared to others. 
Happy they who then—in-the day ‘of Christ—shall 
be seen to be “sincere and without offense.” : 

Paul’s prayer for the Philippians closes with the 
words, “being filled with the fruits of righteousness 
which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise 
of God.” 

7 


Special Petitions for Our Beloved 


These words constitute the fourth petition of 
Paul’s prayer. They voice his wish that those whom 


he loves may have an abundant experience of the -— 


benefits of God’s grace. “Filled!” Paul -loved to — 
use the words “full” and “filled.” He sought the 
full indwelling of the Holy Spirit in his own heart 
and he desired that same full indwelling in the 
hearts of others. .He longed to have righteousness 
the overpowering passion of men’s souls. He prayed 
that they might be filled with the knowledge of God’s 
will and that their peace might pass understanding. ’ 
His own spiritual experience was rich and deep. 
“That ye may be filled with all the fulness of God” 
was his desire for others. 

‘Filled “with the fruits of righteousness.” The 
fruits of righteousness are comfort and content, en- 
ergy and sweetness, power and salvation. Filled 
with such fruits! The autumn time suggests the 
beauty of such an experience. When the mows are 
filled with hay and the bins are filled with grain, 
the time for harvest joy has come. All nations sing 
that joy, Russia and England, France and America. 
The fruits of harvest are glorious, so too are the 
fruits of righteousness. He who is filled with the 
fruits of righteousness has a heart filled with last- 
ing happiness and a life filled with abiding strength. 


79 


A Mteny, Means of Usefulness 


“Which are by Jess Christ.” Yes, Jesus Christ : ae = 
is the source and means whereby these fruits enter... Bae 
the heart and life. .And when once they enter 9 
the heart and life, these fruits are “unto the glory 
and praise of God.” They cause those in whom — 
they dwell to reflect honor on God. Men “filled with { 
the fruits of righteousness” are living illustrations 
of the power of divine grace: they are God’s epistles; 
written to show the beauty of His service. On earth 
they are God’s attractive ambassadors and then in 


_: heaven they are God’s eternal “glory and praise.” 

In the history of Hamburg occurs the story of an 
intercession. The city was besieged. Days and . ~ 
weeks had worn on until the people of this city were 
in distress. The day came when it seemed to the 
commander that he could not hold out another hour. 
Heavy hearted he entered his garden. His armor 
had not been put off for many nights. As he walked 
through the garden he noticed the cherries on the 
trees. They were large, ripe, luscious. A thought 

- came to him. Next day he dressed three hundred 

_children of Hamburg in white. Then he loaded 

them with these cherry branches. When all was 
ready he opened the gates of the city and had the . 

ae children walk straight toward the besiegers. The 

or besiegers could not imagine what’ the, procession 


80 


Special Petitions for Our Beloved 


- meant. Children in white, bearing branches of fruit! me Ne 
Was it a stratagem? They awaited the coming of 
the children. When they saw their innocency, re-. 
ceived their fruit and learned the dire need of Ham- *: 


burg, the commander’s appeal to their mercy touched “3 ; 
the hearts of the besiegers.. Next day the besiegers — = 
moved away from Hamburg and the city was saved! * 

The prayers of intercession are seemingly weak co 
means of good: but when we bring those prayers | 
t¢ God, as the children carried the branches, in love 
aid in earnestness, those prayers are appeals that 
riach God’s heart and secure the blessings that are 
s ught. Well may we then pray for our beloved: 

“THAT YOUR LOVE MAY ABOUND YET MORE AND 
MRE IN ALL KNOWLEDGE AND JUDGMENT, 

“THAT YE MAY APPROVE THINGS THAT ARE EX- 
CHELENT Tare: 

“THAT YE MAY BE SINCERE AND WITHOUT OF- 
F\NSE TILL THE DAY OF CHRIST: 

“BEING FILLED WITH THE FRUITS OF RIGHTEOUS- 
NESS, WHICH ARE BY Jesus CHRIST, UNTO THE 
GLORY AND PRAISE OF Gop.” 


Tbe Christian Worker’s Intercession. 


In a village in New York state the following scene 
once occurred. The pastor of the church was to go 
away. All the families dwelling within two miles 
of the church belonged to his congregation. The 
pastor had labored long and faithfully among them. 
His life had been blameless. His preaching had 
been forceful. He had gone into the homes with 


interest and affection for all. Besides, he had . 


spoken some word of counsel to almost every in- 
dividual in the entire congregation. He had rebuked, 
encouraged, comforted and persuaded, according 
to the need in each case. On the morning of his 
departure he came to a rising ground whence he 
could see the church, the houses lining the village 
street, and the scattered homes of more than three- 
fourths of his people. There he turned and looked 
back. Then he stretched out his arms, lifted his 
eyes, and with quivering voice called upon God: 
“Blessed Father, this is the people I have loved. I 
have labored for them with my whole soul. I can 
82 


The Christian Worker's Intercession 


do no more. Do Thou take care of them, and bless 
them, and bring them one and all to Thy glory.” 

Then he looked once more upon all the homes 
where the old and the young, the thoughtful and 
thoughtless were, turned about and passed on his 
way. 

That scene does not stand alone in the world’s 
history. Abraham Lincoln once said: “I have been 
driven many times to my knees by the overwhelm- 
ing conviction that I had no other place to go.” 
Thousands of earnest, faithful men, having used 
every means within their power for the spiritual 
good of others, have reached moments when no 
other resource was left them except prayer. ‘What 
more can I do?” a teacher of a Sunday school class 
often asks after he has put his whole soul into trying 
to make Scripture truths reach the hearts of his 
scholars. ‘What more can I do?” a parent often 
asks, after he has tried to live spotlessly in his home, 
and has spoken to his children with all possible per- 
. suasion of Christ’s claims for their allegiance. 

At such times there is but one answer. It is the 
answer given in Paul’s example at Miletus. For 
three years he had labored in Ephesus. He had 
been manly, independent, and tender. He had 


worked with his own hands to support himself; he 
83 


A A Mighty Breen: of Usefulness’ 


had coveted no man’s money; he ee gone from . re 
house to house by day and by night saying the need- ne} = ar 


ful word and showing a self-denying, loving spirit. 


He had been a faithful friend and a faithful min- ~~ 


ister. He had testified by his life and by his lips to 
the beauty of Christ. He had—even with tears— 
urged people to leave sin and walk in righteousness. — 
But now his opportunity was over. He was to 
see their faces no more. He had done and said 
- enough to enable every one of them to be a splendid. 
Christian, at once a blessing to his fellows and an | 
honor to God. Only one resource remained pos- 
sible to him: that was prayer. He knew the abso-- 
lute necessity for heaven’s blessing on his work.. He 
himself said, “Paul may plant, Apollos may water, 
but God giveth the increase.” Prayer was to him 
a refuge and a strength.. Accordingly, on the sands 
of the sea shore, surrounded by. the tepresentative 
workers of the Ephesian church, he knelt down and 
lifted his heart toward heaven in petition. 
What was the nature of Paul’s prayer? We are i 
“not told positively. But we are told so suggestively 


om ‘that we feel sure its nature is indicated in the words ee Ege 


“of his farewell: 
“AND Now, BRETHREN, I COMMEND YOU TO- 


Gop AND TO THE WORD OF His GRACE, WHICH IS . 


84 


Mtirpese nis i rae ya, 2 ‘ ' : toy : Fe Hi oe at ai 
et te F i pee aes gi ae Me ee te 
a a a ll a a a al eee 


sib a'icese 
ei ae oe 


= 
Sei 


«fF 


Vs Thiseg 
: Hore 4 


The Christian Worker's Intercession 


' ABLE TO BUILD YOU UP AND TO GIVE YOU AN IN-_ 
: 4 HERITANCE AMONG ALL THEM WHICH ARE 


_ SANCTIFIED.” 
The key-word of the prayer is the word “able.” 


The word “able” refers both to God and also to 


“the word of His grace.” “Able,” “able,” “able’— 
that was the idea in Paul's mind as he knelt down 
to pray for these Christian workers. 

He commended them to God. What does it mean 
to “commend” a person to God? To commend to 
God is to hand over to God for His care and bless- 
ing. When Christ came to the final moment of His 
life He said, “ Father, into Thy hand I commend my 
spirit.” Thus He intrusted His spirit to God for 
His care and His blessing. If today a dying parent 
desired to make provision for his child, so that the 
child after his death should have proper oversight 
and protection, he would call to his bedside some 
friend in whose integrity, wisdom and. loyalty he 
had confidence, and he would say to him: “‘Here is 
my boy. I want you to take him and do for him 


everything you can, so that all will be well with him. 
~ I commend him to you.” 


But is there any special reason why we should 
thus “commend” people to God? Are they in any 
particular danger? One thing Paul felt and felt 

85 


Ma 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness. 


with his whole being—the exposure of every Chris- 
tian to spiritual peril. He never complained of this 
peril. Nor on the other hand did he ever forget it. ~ 
To Paul every man’s soul was the battle field where 
Satan fought desperately. Life to him was not so 
much a game of chess which Satan plays with every 
youth, the youth’s soul being the stake. Nor was it 
so much all sorts of frightful creatures, such as 
Bunyan saw, threatening every pilgrim’s progress 
toward Heaven. It was more than these. To Paul 
human life was an army of actual evil beings who, 
well organized and well directed, had but one mis- 
sion—the ruin of man’s soul. They were principali- 
ties and powers and rulers of darkness-+-spiritual 
foes that were all the more effective because they 
were unseen, foes that, subtly infusing into the soul 
erroneous ideas, weakened its principles and per- 
suaded it into evil. Paul never lost this idea from 
his thinking. To him all the influences of hell were 
in league against a soul’s welfare. Therefore in 
~ the very spirit of his Master he kept urging men 
always to be on their guard. He exhorted them to 
realize that one single hour of carelessness might 
imperil their eternal welfare. 
Nor was Paul wrong. It is just as certain as the 
fact of existence that the careless soul, even in the — 
86 


OE Noe, VE ee tT 2 s 


t 
The Christian Worker's Intercession 


“Christian worker, is exposed: to spiritual danger. ~ 
~ In Ephesus there were persons eager to mislead — : 
those very people whom Paul had taught. These .-> 
persons were ready to turn converts back to idolatry, a : 


to lure them again into the vices of Diana worship, 
and to make them worse than they had been before 
Paul rescued them. There are such people in the 
world now. No words can be too severe to charac- 
terize them. “Grievous wolves” Paul called such 
people—“wolves” because they do not hesitate to 
take simplicity and deceive it, innocence and corrupt 
it, high mindedness and pull it down to destruction. 

Once in Texas I saw brought into ranch head- 
quarters the skins of eight little wolves. Why was 
anybody killing little wolves? Because those little 
wolves, left unkilled, some day would be grown. 
Then a band of them would find a bunch of cattle 
that was astray on the ranch plains. The wolves 
would surround the bunch, would select some spe- 
cial animal as their victim, «nd every time that in 


‘the “milling” it came near them, would bite at its 


flanks. At last the animal, weakened by loss of 
blood, would fall: A moment later they would be 
tearing it' to pieces. 
A wolf among young cattle is a fearful thing. 
A wolf among sheep is even more fearful. But a 
87 


4 flighty Means of Here 


Ppolt : in | human, form among weak souls is the most cares 
- fearful of all fearful things. 5 

That minister in the New York State village took: 
ing back in. his. farewell saw the village, tavern. 
‘There was the cheerful bar-room where many a 
parishioner had tarried, sometimes drinking toc 


much, sometimes listening to low and soiled con- 
versation. Again and again, after he had almost 
persuaded his parishioners to Christian earnestness, 
these parishioners had been drawn into the tavern. 


. Somehow before they came out all their concern. 
~.for the religious life had disappeared. That tavern 
was to him like a great wolf: it destroyed his sheep. 


Satan must have laughed many and many a time 
as he saw the change wrought in one short quarter 
of an hour in that tavern. 
Wherever people go there are spiritual dangers. 
They may be as imperceptible as malaria, but as 
powerful. There are Congressmen who leave their 
quiet home. churches to go to Washington. When 
they return home it seems as though the life-blood af 
their piety had been sucked dry. Let any paren't 


i bestest pp meelione 


know that tomorrow his child is to be placed in ” : aa 
such surroundings of temptation as Joseph faced. gs) ane 


when carried to Egypt: let any friend know that to- 7 ee. 


morrow his companion is to meet the evils that are — 
88 


PRT 
aaa cry 


ae age 


mag | 


ae 
eee 

. Se 

ir geen. 
ao 


. waiting to ensnare youth, to mislead maturity and =. 
‘ to deceive even age. Then if parent and friend’. 
~ love child and companion they will rejoice in “com- " 


The Christian Worker's Intercession’ 


mending” these exposed ones to God’s care. 

‘It is because mothers and fathers love so tenderly 
and understand life’s evil so clearly that they com- 
mend the child to God. They lay their hands upon 
the child’s shoulder, look firmly into his eyes and 
say, “Go, my child, I ask God to care for you.” Then 
they turn away and in secret shed tears of affection 


for the child as they kneel and entrust him to God. 


Oh for prayer, today, from hearts the world over, 
that shall thus “commend” each exposed soul to 
the protection and blessing of God. | 

There was one other feature of this prayer for the 
Ephesians. Remember that it is not the prayer of 
an- inactive, easy-going Christian. It is the prayer 
of one who has put his very life-blood into efforts 
for others. Remember too that this prayer says 
nothing about health of bod., nor safety of home, 
nor preservation of life. The prayer deals wholly 
with Christian character. After commending the 
Ephesians to God Himself, it commends them to 


His “word.” 


Paul had immense faith in the value of the Bible 
as a means of spiritual blessing. Lately a sermon 
89 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness 


was preached in Trinity Church, Boston, on the 
subject of weak Christian lives, and upon religious 
indifference and doubt. Said the preacher, “People 
are coming to me every week and saying that they 
have lost their faith and that they have no strength 
of Christian convictions. They are university stu- - 
dents, they are graduates, they are young men in 
business and older people in society. I ask them. if 
they are keeping up regular attendance upon church 
services where the Bible is read, taught, prayed and 
sung. Almost invariably they answer, ‘No.’ ” 

The very familiarity of the Bible often detracts 
from the force of its message. Its words fall im- 
potent upon the heart. And still the Bible, under 
God, has such a power in it that it may both protect 
from evil and also secure holiness. It is a word of 
“gsrace,”— that is, of love, undeserved love. The 
Bible as a “word of grace” is a provision by love 
and is an expression of love. It reveals to men that 
personal love which God has for each of them, the 
knowledge of which should make every human crea- 
-ture understand his unspeakable value in God’s 
sight, and: should summon him irresistibly from all 
discouragement and sin. 

That “word” purposes to do two things for men. 
The one, to make them perfect men in this present 


go 


Res - The Christian Worker’s Intercession ‘. ie 


eos a 

§ = life; the other, to: insure them perfect blessedness i j 

aa Z in the life to come. | ree 
inal The method by which this first purpose is to be 

pee carried out is noticeable. The word indicating that = = 
Z ’ method is the word “build.” The Bible is to do for Re 


men exactly what a builder does when he erects 
Poe a house. He makes his foundation and then by 
gradual processes of construction he erects a build- © 
ing. The advancement is not hasty. Jonah’s gourd 
sprang up in a day, and perished in a day. But no 
er building of worthy size and beauty, intended to 
last many years, can be made in a day. Years upon 
years must go into the building‘of perfect character. 
This process of building a complete man is slower 
than any other process with which we have to do. 
And still the very slowness of this process suggests 
that character thus formed is made to last, to last 
as it would seem, for an eternity. 

But the Bible is “able” to accomplish this great 
result. Rightly used it is the means of transforming 
weakness into strength and even of changing death 
. into life. If read superstitiously as a charm, or 
a irreverently as an ordinary book, or formally as a_, 
matter of letter rather than of spirit, it becomes a 
hindrance to the soul. But if read aright it “builds 
up the soul in Jesus Christ and establishes it in the 
faith.” 


gr” 


sh Pea 


ais: ¥ Mighty Means of Usefulness. as 


- When the soul tests all views of life by the Bible’ 's 


views, and when the soul is dominated by Christ’s x 
purity, self-sacrifice, and self-control, then the soul — 
becomes stronger and stronger for duty, wiser and ««— 


wiser for truth—sweeter, happier, and holier. The 
reverent heed of God’s word secures firmness in 
principle and development in power. 

Such continuous use of the Bible never fails of 
profitable resuits. To pray that people may hide 


_ the Bible in their minds and hearts is to pray that — 
they may grow pure and useful. To give a person... 


a Bible with the expressed or unexpressed prayer 
that it may be all that God designed it to be to that . 


. person is to pray that the person—little by little, 


but with all sureness—may be “built up” into a 
noble, helpful, attractive Christian. 
Give the Bible opportunity and it will do its work. 


_“Can you make a good mechanic of me?” the young 


man asked as he went to ‘the master mechanic. “I 


_can if you will do just what I tell you and will con- 
tinue doing so for five years.” “Can you makea- = 
‘singer of me?” the young man asked as he went to _ = 
- the singing teacher. “Yes, certainly I can, if you 
will listen to all I say and will practice what I say,’ 


for seven years.” The hope of the master mechanic. : 
and of the singing teacher is in having opportunity. 


. 


Fi = The Christian Worker's Intercession 


4 


Let the Bible have opportunity and the ee re- = 


_ sults are.certain. 


~ One thing else God and the Bible can do besides = 
a) -. puilding up ;” they can “give an inheritance among. - 
'< all them which are sanctified.” ¢ 


During all those years when the Israelites of old 


wandered in the desert, they had a hope that sus- 


tained and inspired them. They looked ahead to a 


blessed land where wandering would be forever’ 
over and all the uncertainties of pilgrimage would © 
. cease. There each one of them would receive an = 


“inheritance,” a safe and happy spot, where, sur- 
rounded by God’s people, he would have his per- 
petual home. The thought of that inheritance 
(God’s gift reserved for them, His children and 
heirs) put courage and strength into the Israelites. 
It spoke to them of trial ended and of joy perpetu- 
ated. 


The word “inheritance” passed from the Old into’ 


the New Testament. Christian writers used it. 
They gave it an enlarged meaning. With them it 
stood for the perfect and eterna. blessedness which 


God confers upon His people when Christ’s work is * 
complete. “The inheritance among all them that : 


are sanctified” is God’s Heaven. But God’s Heaven 
is the holiness, the peace, and the fellowship which 


93 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness. 


are the crowning possibilities of human life and <~ 
whose sphere is the very presence of God. “Oh, ah 
God,” prays ‘the mother when her boy goes from 
home to the war, “Oh, God, bring my boy home fn é 


joy and safety.” So the man who loves souls prays, 
“Oh, God, bring these souls to Heaven, pure and 
true. Guard them, keep them all through this 
earthly life, and at last, sanctified and worthy, wel- 
come them to Thy home.” 

That is a prayer that may well be on our lips for 
all Christian workers. It is a request to God that 
the outcome of life may be eternal blessedness. As 
the owner of a vessel, when the vessel starts upon 
the ocean, may say, “I hope my boat will have a 
prosperous voyage, carrying its cargo in safety, out- 
riding all gales and entering its port in peace:” so 
we may pray that men should live beautifully and 
at the end reach Heaven. Many a man has had 
‘this wish for his friend. The wish is a noble one— 
that the friend may live so worthily that God at the 
last will honor him with the crown of life. That is 
exactly what Paul prayed for the Ephesians and 
what we should pray for others. . 

God and His word are “able” thus to “sanctify” 


men. His word is a purifying power. Christ’s in- _ 


cisive utterances concerning covetousness, hatred, 


94 


_ The Christian Worker's Intercession ~ 


; - impurity and formalism condemn and humble men. — 


Christ’s ‘gentle utterances concerning forgiveness 


and love comfort and heal men. Let the Bible do ~~ 


its perfect work, and men will be sweetened, en- 
riched and even “sanctified” until the pathway of 
their souls shall run straight on to Heaven. % 
The editor of one of the most influential news- 
papers of New York City went one winter day into 
the hills of New England. Night came on while he 
was still far from his destination. The snow was 
deep. He lost his way. He could not tell which 
road to take. No one was at hand to guide him. 
He was helpless. No house was in sight. At last 
he detected a light far:in the distance. He drove 
toward it. He found that it was in a school house 
and that a little handful of people were meeting 
there to pray. They were “commending souls to 
God and His word.” They had tramped through 
the snow as best they could and were here to make 
intercession. He asked them the direction he should 
take. They gave it. He drove away and was safe. 
That little meeting on the coid, snowy night, made 
up of people who had left their warm homes that 
together they might offer supplication to God, stayed 
in the editor’s memory. When he reached the great 
city the meeting constantly asserted itself in his 


95 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness 5 se me = 


Smnind. As he saw men giving large ele for: 2 
charity he thought of it. As he studied the many» of 
beautiful efforts made for human betterment hes 
_ thought of it. = 
One day he wrote an sick for the daily. issue: 
_of his paper, describing his experience on that win- » — arta % 
ter night. He showed the whole scene, the hills, the- we 
snow, the lost traveler, the school house and the 


little band of interceding souls. ~ Then in a conclu- bine 
sion that expressed his profoundest conviction, he 

said: “I believe that such meetings as that which — 

proved light and safety to me are today the greatest. 

power in the world to bring Hebe, and i to the: 

souls of men.” 


et 


PACE Pe eae eee oe 


Best Requests for Best People. 


In his own unique and happy way Spurgeon 
once described the difference between. great and 
small intercessions. He said: 


“It may be your prayer is like a ship, which, when’ 
it goes on a very long voyage, does not come home ~~ 


laden so soon; but when it does come home, it has 
a richer freight. Mere ‘coasters’ will bring you 
coals, or such like ordinary things; but they that go 
afar to Tarshish return with gold and ivory. 
Coasting prayers, such as we pray every day, bring 


us many necessaries; but there are great prayers, 


which, like the old Spanish galleons, cross the main 
ocean, and are longer out of sight, but come home 
deep laden with a golden freignt.” 


In intercession requests do vary in importance. 


Some requests seek good things, some seek better 
things, some seek best things. Intercession for the 
best people should seek the very best blessings that 


_can be asked. So Paul thought when he interceded 


for the Thessalonians. Their religious conduct was 
97 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness 


of a noble order. . They were people for whose spir- re 


ituality and strength he always thanked God. He 
even gloried in their piety and wherever he went 
mentioned their goodness with the highest approba- 
tion. . 
He put his requests for these Thessalonians into 
this prayer: 
“\V HEREFORE ALSO WE PRAY ALWAYS FOR YOU, 
“THAT OUR GOD WOULD COUNT YOU WORTHY OF 
THIS CALLING, 
“AND FULFIL ALL THE PLEASURE OF HIs GoopD- 
NESS AND THE WORK OF FAITH WITH POWER: 


“THAT THE NAME OF OUR LorpD JESUS CHRIST | 


MAY BE GLORIFIED IN YOU—AND YE IN Him, 
“ACCORDING TO THE GRACE OF OUR GOD AND 

THE Lorp Jesus CurIsT.” 

_ The first request of this prayer is “that God 
- would count you worthy of this calling.” 

“This calling” is an inclusive phrase. It has to 
do both with time and with eternity. It expresses 
every duty of time and every reward both of time 
and of eternity, to which God invites the soul. It 


means the life of Christian service here and the ~ 


life of Christian sanctification hereafter. 
~ When Paul used this phrase, his eye was on the 
present and the future alike. In his judgment ex- 


98 


) se zea, sient fer. Best Petes: 


ty are. = = "The" ae of the Lord” is to come and SS 
with its ‘coming great changes are to ensue. All ~~ 
~ evil influences then will be overpowered. All good) > 
influences then will be established. The eyes of 
Christ are to search every heart. Every secret thing 
is to be uncovered. That which is impure shall be 
put to shame. That which is pure shall be honored. 
. The “day of the Lord” at once will be fearful and 
glorious—fearful to the evil, glorious to the good. 

When a man is asked to be a Christian he is 
asked to be ready for that day. This is his “call-_ 
ing”—namely, to so live in all lowliness, meekness, _ 
endurance and love as now to be the very best man 
he can be and then to be prepared for eternity. 

There is no appeal that can reach the heart of man 
comparable to this “calling.” It summons to the 
highest possible duties and it enforces the strongest 
possible virtues. The Christian is to be the very 
best type of man the human mind can conceive. 
Such he is to be now. Then at the end, in comple- 

ee tion of character, he is to reign forever, with God. 
<= A man of this “calling” is especially honored. 


Dibip a 


Great responsibility rests upon him. He is chosen 
to be God’s fellow-worker in saving the world. He 


99 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness 


is, too, the man on whom centers the gaze of all 
those heavenly beings who watch the spiritual strug- 
gles of earth. When his work is done, then comes 
his greatest honor—he is welcomed by Christ into — 
the everlasting habitations of blessedness. 

Those who are already started in this “calling” 
need our intercession. Good and worthy as they 
are, they still lack many graces. Spotlessness is not 
yet theirs. They are not doing for Christ all that 
they may do, nor are they being for Christ all that 
they may be. The best Christians are the most con- 
vinced of their deficiencies. Paul called himself 
“chiefest of sinners.” The better he became the 
more he felt his imperfection. So felt the faithful 
centurion. “I am not worthy that thou shouldest 
come under my roof,” he said. ‘Would God that I 
could better illustrate the beauty of holiness!” is the 
language of the truest Christian. 

But there is a distinction between ‘actually being 
worthy of the calling and being “counted” worthy 
of it. Christ selected twelve men to be His disci- 
ples. Every one of them had flaws in his character. 
Still he “counted” them worthy to represent Him. 
John Newton was not worthy to preach Christ. 
Nor is the mission-worker worthy to teach Christ. 
Nor is any soul-seeker worthy to call himself 


100 


Best Requests for Best People 


x 


Christ’s ambassador. But God “counts” such men, 
imperfect as they are, “worthy,” and He uses them: 
to His praise. 

It is a great honor even to be “counted” worthy 
of the Christian calling. There must at least be 
true penitence and true consecration in a person’s 
heart, if he is to be “counted worthy.” Every per- 
son thus penitent and consecrated God uses for His 
glory. But He will not continue to use such an one 
unless penitence deepens and consecration grows. 

“Counted worthy!” That was a great compli- 
ment paid the American missionaries after the siege 
of Peking. When the siege was over, the United 
States Minister declared that during all the time of 
peril the missionaries showed such energy, skill and 
devotion that to them more than to any others was 
due the protection of the compound and the preser- 
vation of the besieged. Not one of these mission- 
aries was without his individual foibles—and still 
every one of them behaved so well that he was 
“counted worthy” of the missionary calling. 

Whenever any man is counted worthy of the 
Christian calling, he is an honor to.God. The man 
who buys and sells in such a way that his fellows 
count him worthy of the Christian name glorifies 
God. It sometimes seems as though the greatest. 


Iot 


es ——— A Mighty Means of Usefulness 
“3 5 request we could make for Christian people is that o 
=. they. may be “counted worthy of their calling.” 2c 
How rapidly would God’s work advance if every — 
- Christian were reverenced by his associates! Would ~ 
, - not the finger of scorn, now pointed at Christ’s 
church, immediately drop—if the members of that 
church bore Christ’s name worthily ? S3 
It is beautiful when a man already earnest be- = 
‘comes increasingly earnest,—when a soul already ss 
noble becomes increasingly noble. It is even glori- 
-ous when a life commends Christ to the world in- ~ 
' -¢€reasingly—when that life’s influence, like a mighty 
Amazon, accumulates volume at each advance. 


Well may we make the petition for all holy men 

-of God, “Oh, that they may be more and more ef- 
fective for Christ every day they live!” oA saree 

The second request of Paul’s prayer for good es 

_ people is, “that God may fulfil all the pleasure of 

_.His goodness, and the work of faith with power.” 

- .. This is a petition that all God’s desires for the 
_. Spiritual development of good people may be thor? 
& oughly carried out! 

-. His desires for them are exceeding many and = . 
exceeding great. He desires that every sin and = —s 3 
“every worldliness be laid aside. He desires that ~— 

S shelr souls be absolutely pure and their lives might- 


102 


— wn 


a 


aie “Best Reqhests for Best People’ ee 


, 
ba rie 
gy: ta 


ret ae =e ert * What God. roriatiea is that the Chris 3 
. -. tian should be both beautiful and strong, so Christly © “*==:. 
». that men should behold in him God’s likeness and = = 
that every life touched by him, should be enriched 
by his goodness. When Victoria was a child, the 
heir to a throne, her mother might often have said 
to Victoria: “If all my wishes for you are fulfilled 
you will be a true, pure woman, and you will be a 


wise, good queen.” -That mother’s wishes for her 
pa child were many and large. She desired thousands 
F upon thousands of blessings on her child. But how 
few and small the desires of any,earthly parent for 
. a child are compared to the desires cherished by 
God for those who are at once the children of His 
love and the heirs of His glory! “I will dwell in 
them and walk in them: and I will be their God, and 
they shall be my people.” “TI will also perfect that 

which concerneth them.” 
This petition that all God’s desires for His chil- 
> - dren should be fulfilled, ends with the remarkable 
"3 words “with power.” The prayer is that these 
<4 2 _. desires shall not be fulfilled weakly but fulfilled 

en mightily. 

a There is nothing in the Scripture more thrilling 
ee than the word “power” as used by God in connec- 
koe tion with His blessings. “Ye shall be baptized 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness 


with the Holy Ghost and with power,” Christ said. _ ES 


In due tithe a man like Peter who was too weak to. = 


- confess Christ before one person had such strength -— 
that he spoke fearlessly before thousands. Power! 
Men never cease marveling at it. They watch thea 
ox-cart lumbering along the highway, and they rec 
ognize the life in it, indicated by movement. Buf 
when they stand beside the railway and see the loco- 
motive come rushing down the track, drawing its 
thousands of tons and sweeping by with resistles# 
speed, they say “This is power!” Life indeed is im 
the ox-cart, but life “with power” is in the locome: 
tive. : 

When God fulfils His desires in men “with 
power” those desires are abundantly, gloriously ful: 
filled. Men thus blessed enter into the banqueting, 
house of God and eat His pleasant fruits. Theyr 
go forth in God’s name conquering and to conquer, 
“My people shall be willing in the day of my 
power,” God said. When “God’s power” is mani* 
fested in willing souls, a little one becomes a thou- 
sand and a small one a strong nation. Before God's 


'-~. mighty movements in the heart all discouragement 


disappears. Songs take the place of sighs. “The 
base things of the world and the things that are 
despised, and the things that are not bring to nought 


S 104 


Best Requests for Best People 


desires for His people “with power,” and the church * 
will not have one weak member, nor will any 
Christian disciple be other than “a tower of 
strength.” 

Once, in writing to the Colossians, Paul explained 
the secret of his indomitable courage and his un- 
failing energy. He was speaking of the efforts 
made by him for the world’s good. ‘“Whereunto,” 
he says of these efforts, “whereunto I also labor, 
striving according to His working that worketh in 
me mightily.” In that word “mightily” was the 
secret of his robust character and of his effective 
influence. 

When we ask God to fulfil all the good pleasure 
of His goodness and the work of faith “with power” 
in Christian people, we ask Him to reproduce men 
like Moses and Daniel and Paul. We ask Him to 
make-even stronger and better men than these 
worthies. Was it not “with power” that God raised 
Christ from the dead? If with that same power He 
today implants Christ in human lives, then Chris- 
tians of shining holiness and far-reaching fervor 
will abound, and those who give irresistible testi- 
mony for Christ will be a great multitude. 

Paul’s prayer for good people reaches its climax 


105 


the things that are.” Let God once fulfil His great ~~ ri : 


oe oe 4 Mighty, Means of Usefulness = — 


in the third petition, He ‘prayed stat the name 


— ye in Him.”- jenartes ae 
eae NO . greater, fener prayer Fire this can be: of- 
~.. fered. Here is the consummate petition of all pe- Rese ot a 
-. titions for good people. : 
a This petition has in view both the oresene day 
of earthly service and that other day, “the great 
day,” when Christ comes in glorious majesty, and 
every eye shall see Him. 
To pray that Christ’s name may be « glorified” 
in men is to ask much. The “name” of Christ is 
that by which Christ is known. Christ’s name 
stands for Christ’s kingdom and for Christ Him- hee 
self. ee 
The prayer is not that Christ’s name may be ee 


glorified in the words nor even in the deeds of men. 
Many a man whose heart was evil has said kind | 
-— words about Christ and has even dedicated churches Se 
~ to Christ. ‘The Re is that Christ’s name may ©, ee = 
me be glorified ‘ ‘in you.” It is a prayer for such holy . ed 
See character in Christian people as shall actually: 
Se “slorify” their Master. 
~ It is much to “glorify” anyone or anything that  <~— 
is great. Successful runners in the Olympic games = 
glorified. the city of their birth. Franklin when his 


106 


es “ose 73 Best Requests for I Saver 


=F representations secured the recognition. of France: 
: 3 for the American Colonies glorified ‘his country. 
= Even so a man may glorify Him “in whose name > 
—. every knee should bow, of things in heaven and aces 
things in earth and things under the earth!” Such . 
glory from man is Christ’s highest glory. 

Here is a fact of marvelous significance—the 
highest glory of Jesus Christ comes to Him from 
redeemed and sanctified humanity. Men and 
women that are true, pure, holy are His greatest 
honor. When the persecuting Saul became the 
preaching Paul, he became a glory to Christ. When 
today men live patiently, sweetly, helpfully, they 
too are a glory to Christ. Men may so live as 
to disgrace Christ’s name. They can be so care- 
less, so evil that ‘they drag Christ’s name in the 
mire. But when, like Robert Murray McCheyne, 
they spend their whole energy for the truth, the 
name of Christ is honored. When like Blaise Pas- 
cal, constantly subject to bodily pain, they live so 
patiently that their very, voices are a benediction, 
that same name of Christ is glorified. ~ 

To pray that a Christian may bring glory to 
Christ’s name is to pray that the Christian’s heart 
“ may be so filled with the fruits of the Spirit that 
his home shall reverence his piety, that society shall 


Ed 
1 
£ 


. 
‘ 


B 


107 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness ~~ = = 


feel the moral omnipotence of his goodness, and 
that the world shall see in him, as in a mirror, the — 


very reflection of the spotless Christ. 

This culminating petition for Paul for good peo- 
ple concludes with a remarkable expression. It is, 
that “ye may be glorified in Him.” 

The branch has vitality and productiveness 
through abiding in the vine. The Christian has 
beauty and power through abiding in Christ. The 
branch is glorified when the vine, sending its sap 
into the branch, causes the branch to bring forth 
buds and clusters. The Christian is glorified when 
Christ, imparting His own divine life to the Chris- 
tian, causes him to bring forth the fruits of right- 
eousness. No glory that man can have is comparable 
to the glory of being a noble Christian. Learning, 
pomp, applause pale into insignificance beside good- 
ness. When that goodness is Christ-inspired it is 
transfiguringly beautiful. 

Macaulay wrote concerning ancient Athens: 
_ “Her power is indeed manifest at the bar, in the 
senate, on the field of battle and in the school of 
- philosophy. But these are not her glory.” Then 
he mentioned her literature. He described it as 
the wisest expression of her best men. He spoke 
of the comfort and inspiration that her literature 


108 


later 


BO ORCI ee Oe Sane Treen rere oe 


—< 


Best Requests for Best People 


_ had given to the world. Then he said: “Her liter- 


ature is her immortal influence.” The “glory” of 
Athens was her literature. The glory of a man 
is his Christlike character. That which glorified 
Washington was his unselfishness. That which 
glorified Lincoln was his benevolence. It was not 
the power nor the position of Washington and 
Lincoln that glorified them, but it was their good- 
ness. Not the houses, not the farms, not the wealth 
of our fathers and mothers—but their spirit, of love 


- and devotion, glorifies our fathers and mothers to 


our hearts. 

To pray that a Christian may be glorified “in” 
Christ is to pray that the very traits of Christ may 
enter into and possess his being. Glorified in Christ 
is to be rounded, purified, completed. A man or 
woman glorified in Christ is the world’s highest, 
noblest product. 

The day is coming when Christ will appear with 
His angels, in majesty. Then all who have lived 
godly lives shall be openly acknowledged. Angels - 
seeing them will praise Christ for them and call 
them trophies of His love. Every John Bunyan 
will be an enhancement to_Christ’s glory. Every 
Timothy will be a star in Christ’s crown of rejoic- 
ing. The nearer to God men lived, the brighter on 


109 


ange ia 


“A ‘Mighty Means of. Usefulness 


‘that see will they show forth Christ’ s glory. “The : 
more they strove to save Christ’s world, ‘the: more - 
will their contribution to Christ’s triumph forever ee 

exalt His praise. : crimes 3 


Can this great prayer for aes Be. be ante 
swered? Yes, it can. We have every encourage- 
ment to pray it. The words with which Paul con- 
cluded this prayer assured him, as they should as- 
sure us, that Ged can answer it. Those words are, 
“according to the grace of our God and the Lord 

~ Jesus Christ? ~ a x : 
> That “grace” provided a plan of salvation. That ae 
“srace” brought Jesus Christ to earth. That — 
“srace” opened blind eyes and raised the dead. It ae 
beautified a John. It rescued an Augustine. It 
has worked and still works all the wonders of re- 


generation and sanctification. No limit can be 

placed upon its power. It can change the vilest 

=. sinner into the holiest saint. It can take the heart 

“=... of stone and make it the heart of flesh. It can im- 
~~ plant in dying man the power of an endless life. 

~ We may offer this prayer in confidence. God is 

glad to hear it and is ready to answer it. He bids 


. 
2 
Dae 
t 


us do good unto all men, especially unto them who < 
are of the household of faith. His followers are‘) ose eee 
His human dependence. ‘He wishes them to stand ==—— 


= IIo 


1s 


Best Requests for Best People 7 — 


= 


earth. 
The very best people need our intercession. They 


are called by God to defend His interests, to show — 


forth His virtues and to advance His cause. The 
largest duties ever devolved upon men devolve 
upon them.. They are exposed to severe tempta- 


tions. If they fall, great is their fall and great the - | 


consequent harm of God’s name. If they stand, 


they accomplish much for their Lord. They appeal 


to us for our prayers, as Lincoln appealed to his 
neighbors for their prayers when, called to the presi- 
dency of the United States, he started from his 
home toward the national capital: “A duty de- 
volves upon me which is, perhaps, greater than that 
which has devolved upon any other man since the 
days of Washington. He would never have suc- 


ceeded except for the aid of divine providence, upon 


which he at all times relied. I feel that I can- 
not succeed without the same divine aid which sus- 
tained him, and on that same Almighty Being I 
place my reliance for support; and I hope you, my 
friends, will all pray that I may receive that divine 


1It ' 


m among their mows as Mt. Blanc stands among the | : 
“mountains, white, pure, and towering. He wishes ie. # 
> His church to put on her beautiful garments. He 2 
wishes her to be the pabyanion of the ends of the : 


A Mighty Means of Usefulness rs a 
assistance without which I cannot succeed, but with ~ i 
which success is certain.” : 


Let us then see to it that we so pray for these 


special ones that they shall answer to their high nae = 
privileges and their glorious responsibilities. Our t 
prayer for them is safe and wise when we pray: 


“THAT OUR GOD WOULD COUNT YOU WORTHY OF 
-THIS CALLING, 
“AND FULFIL ALL THE PLEASURE OF HIS GOOD- 
NESS AND THE WORK OF FAITH WITH POWER: 
“THAT THE NAME OF ouR Lorp Jesus CHRIST 
MAY BE GLORIFIED IN YOU AND YE IN HIM, © 
“ ACCORDING TO THE GRACE OF OUR GOD AND THE 
Lorp Jesus CHRIST.” 


eS. 


| 
TD Ayelet * 


Tiz 


ae a) 


Intercession for the Unsaved. 


It is an interesting fact that in the Bible there is 
not a single recorded prayer for the unsaved. There 
are many prayers, fully and explicitly recorded for 
“God’s people,” but not a single definitely stated 
prayer for the unsaved. 


The explanation of this fact seems to be two- 


fold. First, the epistles, in which prayers usually 
appear, are addressed to churches. The prayers 
in these epistles always deal with special features 
of Christian experience. The second explanation 


of the omission of prayer for the unsaved is that. 


the Bible does not attempt to divide all men into 
two recognizable classes, labeling one “the saved” 
and the other “the unsaved,” and then instructing 
each class by itself. The Bible addresses itself to 
all alike. It calls upon every person irrespective of 
his confession or denial of the Christian name, to 
do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with 
God. The words of Christ as given in Gospel nar- 
ratives and the words of apostles as given in 


i 


Pe ostolig letters, when heard i in ‘a . church | congrega- ; 
~~ tion, appear to be directed to. every soul in ‘the con=. 


- follow Christ’s will, and some are not. Some per- 


A Mighty Means of. esha — 


gregation. These words - are “so inclusive ‘of all, 
that every hearer feels that they are intended fore Sets 
him. So it is that the prayers for the best people 


_may be offered for any and all people. 2: eo 


It is true, however, that while no human eyes can _ 


detect unerringly who are the real Christians and-~ 

who are not the real Christians, people do differ in 

their attitude toward Christ. He Himself spoke of : 
~_ two classes as existing in His day—those that were . > ao 

for Him, and those that were against Him. These caaes ee 


classes always exist. Some persons are striving to 


sons are “in Christ” and some are “out of Christ.” a3 = 
Often it is difficult to draw a dividing line between 
these two classes. In this matter, as in many an- 


"other matter, there is a “border-land” where people 
_ of different classes appear. very much alike. Her- 


~ saved no eye but that of ommniscience can discriminate 5 


bert Spencer speaks of “the indefinite border-land 


Se? 


- between the animal and vegetable kingdoms” where & 
-__ animals and vegetables are scarcely distinguishable. ie oe ‘* 
~~ In the border-land between the saved and the un- =~. 


with. absolute accuracy. 
But when we move farther and fone away | 


114 . 


tome oes p Eee k se nN 
bese spe twig 
wit SPA ae 


e ces ee - ae 
ere ==> from this “border-land, in "either: “direction, ‘evidence. 


ca 


alae naw ; 
5 a “becomes, so definite that with much assurance we S 


a 


: “us to be saved,” and_ of those on the other: side _ 
“These certainly seem to us to be unsaved. ” To! 
God’s eye there never is obscurity: with Him a- 


= ees man is always seen to be “for” Him or Gagainst? = 
ob Spt Him. © 
i“ 


= The unsaved rest with great weight on the hearts 
of earnest men. As the original Greek expression 
“seems to indicate, the desire of Paul’s heart and 
the prayer of all his prayers was that men might 
be “saved.” David Brainerd was similarly bur- 
dened with desire for the salvation of men. He 
traveled the forests and swamps of Massachusetts 


. in dead of winter, kneeling in the snow and beseech- 
ing God to save the Indians. Asleep he dreamed 
of their salvation, awake his first thought was of 
their rescue. The absorbing love of souls that has . 
animated some hearts cannot be exaggerated. The 

oe thirst for gold that compelled men to seek Cali- 

: fornia and Alaska has not been so strong as that: 
thirst which has caused Christian hearts to pray: ; 

_unceasingly for the unsaved. John Smith, the de- 
voted Wesleyan preacher, used to say “I am a_ 
broken-hearted man, not for myself, but on account 


115 


iA ere Means of. Usefulness 


fos Of others: my God has given me such a sight of the S 
~~ value of precious souls, that I cannot live if souls ~*~ 


are not saved. Oh, give me souls, or else I die.” 


Intelligent prayer for the unsaved should bear — 
in mind that they need to be saved from their 


unconcern. 

Monica’s first thought was, “Oh, that my son, 
Augustine, may be. awakened to a sense of his sit- 
uation!” He seemed to her like a man asleep in a 


boat that is gliding to a cataract. He talked with _ 


the wise, laughed with the merry and companioned 
with the vicious. He frittered away his splendid 
powers of mind and body, seemingly unconscious 
of his fatal tendencies. Monica prayed that God 
would rouse him from his unconcern. In the old 
home in Africa she prayed for him. On the Med- 
iterranean she prayed for him. In Europe she 
_ prayed for him. Sleep went from her! 

Saved from unconcern! So many are going the 
‘way of death heedlessly.. They eat, drink and play: 
they labor, they sleep—and all the while secondary 
_ things are the end and aim of their living. Many 
--a man is like Jonah—not a profligate, but simply 


a deserter from duty. Jonah slept on that storm 


~ tossed vessel—disloyal as he was to himself, to 
his fellows and to his God. Above the storm the 


116 


ST MQ yagdet, sy vi 


Intercession for the Unsaved — 


shipmaster’s cry was needed: “What meanst thou, 


- O sleeper, arise and call upon thy God if so be that 
_ God will think upon us that we perish not.” Jonah’s 


safety was dependent upon an awakening. The 
first thing we must ask God to do for the unsaved 
is to make them think. In answer to Stephen’s 
prayer God stopped Saul on his way to Damascus 
and forced him to realize his position. Thus God 
aroused him from his unconcern. The beginning 
of my own salvation was when the Holy Spirit 
brought me face to face with the questions, “What 
does Jesus Christ wish of you?” “Are you-doing, 
what He wishes?” It was when the prodigal “came 
to himself” and pondered his situation, that hope 
for his salvation dawned. The first step toward 
heaven is the step away from unconcern. 

Prayer for the unsaved should bear in mind that 
they need to be saved from their error. 

This thought was especially prominent in Paul’s 
mind when he prayed for his own kinsmen. Their 
views of religion were wrong. They thought it im- 
possible that a penitent so soon as he came to God 
could be forgiven and welcomed. They held that 
through prayers, tithes and sacrifices the sinner 
must work out his own perfection and thus make 
himself worthy of God’s blessing. They were in 

117 


nh ey ar 


ee No. one, though te ce a Shousand years = 
of effort, can ever, of himself, become perfect. For 


~~ penitence. God simply asks the soul td see in Jesus ~~ 


_ atry need to have it on their lips daily. The people . 
-~ around them misconceive the nature of God and - 
= _-misconceive the methods of propitiating Him. As. 


z 1 Sas TA eee ee 
ae. A “Mighty Means a Usefulness * 


acceptance God does not require perfection, but _ 


Christ the righteousness which God freely offers, 

and then to appropriate that righteousness. — 

_ There is widespread need of the prayer, “Save «_ 
them from error.” . Missionaries in lands of idol- 


the missionaries realize the superstitions of the 
heathen they exclaim again and again, “Come, . 
Lord, in Thy power and deliver the people from 
their blindness.” aise 
The prayer is equally needed in ‘oe lands. — 
Many persons hear the truth all their days and 


still remain ignorant of its meaning. I myself felt 
for years that to be a Christian would be to limit 


<: my. freedom, not enlarge it: would be to diminish ~ -~ ~ 


a hard master... The service of Christ’s cross seemed ~ ~~ 


‘my joy, not increase it. God appeared to me to be 


forbidding; the service of my own gratification 


= seemed ‘satisfying. Hundreds of others, like my- = wat 


self, need:to be “saved” from such views. Satan 
is a jealous jailer... He holds fast many souls in. = 


118 Race ptcar 


people back from salvation: they darken the eyes 
of the understanding and often ney, lead lives into 
immorality. 

But there is power in prayer to save from all 
errors. The father of John G. Paton knelt every 
night for years in the little Scotch home and made 
his intercession. “I have heard,” wrote his son in 


the worst woman in the village of Torthorwald, 
then leading an immoral life but since changed by 
the grace of God, was known to declare that the 
only thing that kept her from despair and from 
< the hell of the suicide, was when in the dark win- 
+s: ter nights she crept close up underneath my father’s 


window, and heard him pleading in family worship 


ee =" such beliefs: ‘ag—that the faults ae others are aes 
a : =~ excuse for their own deficiency ; that ideals of con-~ -- 
ak duct adopted ‘without reference to divine revela- 
~~ tion‘are all that are required ; that cherished grudges ~~ 
are of small import,-and.that postponement of ~ == 
obedience to God is safe. All such beliefs keep =~ 


his own autobiography, “that in long after years 


* that God would convert ‘the sinner from the error. => 


of wicked ways and polish him as a jewel for the 
Redeemer’s crown.’” “I felt,” said she, “that I 


that God would not disappoint him. That thought 


119 


was a burden on that good man’s heart, and I knew 


A Mighty Means of Use(inees 


| kept me out of hell and at last led me to the only eee oe 


Saviour.” 


Prayer for the unsaved should bear in oo ea S ae 


they need to be saved from their sin. 
To be saved from sin is to be an from its 
guilt, its power and its corruption. Sin is the vio- 


lation of God’s law. To violate human law renders — 


the violator guilty. He is guilty until in some way 
‘his guilt is removed. He is not and cannot bea 
full citizen so long as his guilt remains. Nor can 
the man who violates God’s law be other than 
guilty before God until in some way he is saved 
from his guilt. 

It is fearful to be guilty before God. Guilt is 
cruelty toward God and peril toward ourselves 
Cruelty toward God, because it means wilful re- 
sistance to the most tender of all tender hearts 
peril toward ourselves, because were final judg- 
ment to be pronounced immediately, our guilt would 
~_ be our condemnation. He who loves a soul that is 
in sin will pray that it be saved from sin’s guilt. 

He will pray too that it be saved from sin’s 
power. The power of sin is seen in the drunkard 
His: drunkenness is his master. In the morning 
he wishes always to be sober: in the evening he 
is again a captive to his drunkenness. So too with 


Iz0 


e 
eg 
= 

; 3 
5 ‘S 


Intercession for the Unsaved 


the habitual thief, or slanderer, or backbiter : they 


are held prisoners by their sins. Many a sweet 


spirited person when asked to be a Christian re- 
plies “I cannot. My will breaks down every time 
Ltry.? 

Paul knew the power of sin. He exclaimed, “Oh, 
wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me 
from the body of this death?” He felt that, like 
a man chained to a corpse, he. was chained to sin. 
Sin hindered him. It hinders others—those who 
today are in bondage to impure thoughts, or dis- 
honest practices or selfish ambitions. They need 
to have their chains broken and to be released 


from evil. Prayer was made for John B. Gough © ~ 


and he was saved from the power of drunkenness, 
for Jerry McAuley, and he was saved from the 
power of stealing. Prayer was made for Lady 
Huntington and she was saved from the power of 
worldliness. Prayer will avail for those today en- 
chanted by the love of money or display, and for 
those held by the silken hawser of self-indulgence. 
A man is never free until he is saved from the 
power of sin. 

Then there is the corruption of sin. Sin is a 
malaria: in the soul: it vitiates taste, it weakens 
strength, it spoils appetite for good. Sin crazes 


I2t 


oy Christ. “Under the corruption” of sin. ‘men 
+.“ naturally?= to" “evil. - Unless-: that corruption - is ® 
=. checked it, like leprosy with the body, pollutes the 
~~. whole system. No one can check it but God. Even ~ 
~ He can check if only by making of man a new crea-__ 
._ture—with a new disposition and a new purpose. ee aes 
' This God is glad to do. “A new heart will I give 

you.” This promise God has fulfilled thousands = — 
and thousands of times. Men who hated Him 
~\*. have come to love Him. They have been rescued ~ 

> from death and made -alive in Jesus Christ. The 


faces that were set earthward have been set heaven- 


ward. Instead of becoming more and more cor- 
rupted by sin, they have been saved from all sin’s 
“disease and all’ sin’s misery, and been brought to 
“holiness and joy. Surely we do well when we pray 
for others, “Save them, O God, from the terrible 
guilt, the awful power and the ruinous corruption 


of sin.” 


Prayer for the unsaved should ae in mind that 
they need to be saved from their alienation. 
~The prodigal boy i in the far country is away from 
~ home and fellowship. The prayer that he may be 
: ~ saved involves more than deliverance from wrong: 
‘3 ‘it involves also adoption of right. It asks that the’ ~ 


122 


Ef ntercession neh teers ae 
a ment eas: 


2a Seer 


ae 


= oe peace may be established ‘between “him: ate es 
God, and that fellowship ‘with his Father. may be E23 
forever his. To be saved is to be delivered out ~~ 
of the life of evil and brought into the life of God, 
~~ so that the sunlight seems brighter than ever be- — 
fore and the feast of the Lord is the strength of 
the soul. are ips ; 
Such salvation—of happiness, health and safety— 
is salvation indeed. The soul thus saved is at one 
with God, growing more like Him and becoming - . 
better prepared for God’s immediate presence. It 
matters not whether the consciousness of such 
reconciliation with God comes to a man in a par- 
ticular hour or comes in the course of years. It 
is enough that the man takes on larger strength 
_ and beauty, becoming increasingly loyal to Christ 


= ac and increasingly satisfied with Christ’s service. Not 
ee diss. : aL te - Y 
gs 2e-. until Paul is ready to die can he say “I have fought 


the good fight.” Nor may anyone expect that the 
process of salvation will cease this side of heaven.. 
Every man must struggle and endure. unto the end © 
—to be fully saved. cia Seis 
But when that end comes and reais is ; entered, : 
then salvation is complete. Saved from uncon- | 


" (123 


ce cern, “God's | servants see His face. saan ‘from. 
“error, they walk in God’s light. Saved from sin, ~ “x 
they dwell where there is no more curse. Saved 
from separation, they are forever with the Lord. 


“Perchance in heaven, one day to me 
Some blessed soul will come and say : 
‘All hail, beloved! But for thee i a3 
My soul to death had been a prey.’ a" 
Ah, then, what sweetness in the thought 
One soul to glory to have brought!” 


Some years ago in Springfield, Illinois, an earn- 
est man gathered about him a praying band and 
made this suggestion to them: “When you reach 

a home this evening write down the names of all 
persons in Springfield whom you would like to Fs — 
have saved, and then pray for them by name, three 
times a day, that they may be saved. Then make a 

your best possible efforts to induce those persons =: 
=. to turn to God for salvation.” : 
- There resided in Springfield at that time an 
-_invalid woman who physically was almost abso- 
--lutely helpless. She had been bed-ridden for seven- 
teen years. She had been for a long time praying 
to God in a general way to save a multitude of 
souls. When her family told her of the suggestion - 
made to the praying band, she said: “Here is 


124 


es Intercession for the Unsaved. Aoi 


- Kormeatscamnen 


4 Smncthine S can do.” She could use ¢ her right hand. 
_-There was an adjustable writing table at the side Es 
_ of her bed. She asked for pen and paper. - ~ She- 
“wrote down the names of fifty-seven acquaintances. ~ 
She prayed for each of these by name three times a 
day. She wrote them letters telling them of her 
interest in them. She also wrote to Christian 
friends, in whom she knew these persons had confi- 
dence, and urged them to speak to these persons 
about their souls’ welfare and to do their best to 
persuade them to repent and believe. She had un- 
questioning faith in God. In her humble, earnest 
dependence upon Him she thus interceded for the 
unsaved. In time every one of those fifty-seven 
persons avowed faith in Jesus Christ as his Saviour. 
It is worth while to intercede for the unsaved. 
General Gordon always bore particular individuals 
on his heart. He prayed for them: he prayed for 
each of them. He entered their names upon a reg- 
ister. Affectionately, earnestly, wisely he entreated 
them to accept Christ’s blessed salvation. By fol- 
lowing this course, though he was in military service 
and in active enterprise, he lived to see scores of 
lives brought to God as the fruit of his intercession. 
“Pray the largest prayer. You cannot think of 
a prayer so large that God, in answering it, will 


at was 
ae i sk 


125 


~ not wish that we > had made it larger. ‘He asks vi a Ao 
people to intercede in behalf of the unsaved. The ~ 
unsaved are very precious to Him. Christ longs 
_ for their salvation even with travail of soul. 
Eagerly he awaits our efforts for them. - For to 


_ us He has committed the ministry of reconciliation. 
-- Every heart then that is burdened with the salva- _ 
“tion of a friend becomes companion to Christ and = 
- shares in His travail of soul. The honor of such 


es : companionship! It is admission to the holy of holies 
of Christ’s heart. It is participation in His in- 
~ tensest passion. It is sharing in the greatest burden 
a “He today is carrying. 

—— ~ Surely when the days of earthly life are over and 
~*~ men and women enter heaven, they that on earth - 
shared Christ’s travail will in heaven share Christ’s 
. joy. _Their previous experience will prepare them ~~ 
= to appreciate that joy. Monica who interceded will, 
= because she interceded, enjoy the more the triumphs.- 
of redeeming orace=1S0 ee will every praying — 


os its own asreae gladness and peace. 


"May. God ordain a new band. of men who ody = 


“gt eS 


mls ‘shall be the means, under God, ‘of, bringing “ 
Z ~ many “souls to Christ’s perfect salvation... Shs yas : 


ri 


: nd may you and I see to it that we enroll. our-*~ 5 
= ~ selves i in that band and henceforth keep not, silence ee = 
day nor night as we intercede, with strong cryings — : 

and tears—for individuals—whom we name before 


God—for His gracious, holy and eternal salvation. - = 


. 
: me be 
. , 
S = 
» ~ 
Sel > . ) erin es wh 
; ee OD . 
: - a 
= — 
. eae 
4 > 
~ > ~ aes 


127 


2 = Association was founded by D. L. Moody in November, = 
1894, in connection with the Bible Institute for Home and For-= 
_eign Missions, Chicago. ‘The headquarters of the Association are” 
~~ at 826 North La Salle Street, Chicago. pe 
«~The purpose of The Bible Institute Colportage Association may — 
be indicated by the following definite aims: 
1. To produce good literature at a price within reach of all. 
2. To carry the Gospel by means of the printed page, where 
_ church privileges are wanting or not embraced. 
3.. To supply suitable religious reading for distribution among 
all classes, young and old. 
4. To provide a profitable means of employment. 
Liberal terms are made to colporters and canvassers. Previous 
eee not essential. Full printed instructions and suggestions 
- provided. All of one’s time need not be given, but the more the better. . 


~ Ten Reasons for Engaging in Colportage Work 


= 1. Itis God’s work, pre-eminently so, in its aim, method and 
blessing attendant. It is a definite form of Christian work, not 

~ merely book-selling. 

2. It carries the Gospel into thousands of homes where pastors 
or other Christian workers do not usually, or cannot, go. 

-- 3, By it the greatest amount of good, through direct contact 
can be done to the largest number. People will read an attractive 
book who cannot be gotten to church. 

- 4. I¢ presents countless opportunities for doing personal work 
- and for enlisting men’s lives and sympathies in the cause of Christ. 

5.. It supplements all other evangelical agencies for the promo- 
tion of the kingdom of God among men. There need be no fear of 
rivalry or competition; Christian colporters are wanted everywhere. ~ 

6... It may be undertaken in so great a variety of ways—home-to 
=home, churches, societies, conventions, mail, lectures, etc. Al: 

7.. The plan of colportage visiting or “book missionary”? work 

- is applicable anywhere, city, town and country. é 

== 8. The work is not an experiment, but an established and thor- | - 

“oughly-tried method of reaching the people, especially those who do: 
not go to church or care for religious things. 

_...9.- The opportunity is offered to travel, see the country and — 
meet people-of all classes.. 

10... It provides paying employment at the smallest outlay of © 
money and the least possible risk of failure or loss. ‘The remunera- 
tion offered is liberal and in proportion to the amount of time and 
energy expended. - Diligent and consecrated men and women can 
make. all expenses and enough more to provide a reserve fund. 


Ke eerie CATALOGUE OF © 


THE MOODY COLPORTAGE LIBRARY 


- A series of books by well-known Christian authors, undenomi- 
national, thoroughly evangelical, for all classes of readers, in several 
languages. All uniform in size and style with this volume. 


1 Allof Grace. C. H. Spurgeon 

2 The Way toGod. D. L. Moody 

8 Pleasure and Profitin Bible Study. D.L. Moody 
4 Life, Warfare and Victory. D. W. Whittle 


20 
21 
22 
23 
a“ 
26 
2 
80 
82 
84 
85 
86 
83 
“ 
a2 
44 
46 


A Royal Exile. T. D. 

48 The Prodigal 

49 The Splrit-Filled Life, John MacNeil 

60 Jessica’s First Prayer—A Story. Stretton 
51 A Castaway. F. B. Moyer 

52 Heaven on Earth. A.C, Dixon 


60 Weighed and Wanting. 
Ten Commandments. D. L. Moody 
€1 The Crew of the Dolphin—A Story. Stretton 
62 Jobn Ploughman’s Talk. C. H. Spargeon 
63 Moot forthe Master’s Use. F. B. Meyer 
64 Our Bible. C. Leach and R. A. Torrey 
65 Alone in London—A Story. Hesba Stretton 
66 Moody's Anecdotes ~ - 
67 Drummond's Addresses 
68 The Mirage of Life. W. H. Miller 


1 1i.o Te Swedlal and Deo 


Danish-Norwogisn 


69 Children of the Bible 

10 The Power of Pentecost. Thomas Wangh 

Tl Men of the Bible. D. L. Moody 

72 A Peep Bebind the Scenes, Mrs. O. FP. Walton 

78 The School of Obedience, Andrew Murray 

74 Home Duties. R.T. Cross 

7% Tales of; Adventure from the Old Book. 
Thomas Champness 

76 Moody's Stories 

37 The ‘Troe Estimate of Life. G. CampbeD 


78 The Robber’s Cave—A Story. A. L. O. E, 
79 The Life of David. For Children 
80 John Ploughman’s Pictures. C.H. Spurgeon 
81 Thoughts for the Quiet Hoar 
82 Mothers of the Bible. Chas. Leach 
83 The Shorter Life of D. L. Moody. Vol. L, 
P. D. Moody and A. P, Fitt 
84 Ditto Vol. 
85 Revival of a Dead Church. L. G. Broughton 
86 Moody's Latest Sermons. 
87 A Missionary Penny—A Story. L. C. Y. 
83 Calvary’s Oross. Spurgeon, a 
How to Pray. R. A. Torre: 
90 Little King Davie—A Oey Nellie Hollis 
91 Short Talks, D. L. Moody 
82 The Great Appeal. J. G. K. McClure 
98 Pilgrim's Progress. John Bunyan © 
4 Christie, the King’s Servant, Walton 
95 Gay tala Return, or What Is *’Maranathe’’? 
ogo 


96 Kept for the Master’s"Use. Havergal 
88 Back to Bethel. F. B. Moyer 
100 Up from Sin. L. G. Broughton 
201 Ten Commandments, G. Campbell Morgan 
102 Fopnlae Amusements and the Christian Life, 
nD 


104 Answers to Prayer, from George Moller’s 
Narratives 


105 The Way Home. D. L. Moody 

106 Life of William Carey. Mary E. Farwell 

107 Life of Alexander Duff. Elizabeth B. Vermhiye 
108 Life of Aconiram Judson, Jolia H. Johnston 
109 Life of me vid Livingston. Mrs. J. H. Wor~ 


cester, 
i111 Life | of. (Bory Me Martyn and Samuel Mille, 


112 utes of Robert horse. M. L. Wilder 

114 First Words to Young Christians, Robt. Boyd 

116 Rosa’s Quest—A Story. Anna P. Wright 

116 Difficulties in the Bible. R. A. Torrey 

119 Practical ‘end potte Questions An- 
swered. R.A 

120 Satan and ths Gains. t James M. Gray 

121 Present Day Life and oo A. C, Dizan 

122 Great at’ Bpochs of Sacred [History. James M, 


123 Salvation from Start toPinish. Jnenes M. Gray 


Also in Swedish, Garman and Danish-Norwegian 
: = = Also in Swedish. German, Spanish an 


(FURTHER NUMBERS ANNOUNCED LATER) 


> By Reo. James M. Gray, D. D. , 
‘ Howto Master the English Bible 


@This book gre the the author's expen- 
ence as a Bible student and teacher; 
states his method; speaks of results 
which may be obtained by it; and in- 
cludes illustrations for practical use. 
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The Book of Books—What It Is; 
How to Study It 

WA valuable handbook for individual 
or class use. Part One deals 
names of the Bible; its inspiration, 
enuineness and authenticity, canon, 
anguages, versions, general structure, etc. 
Part Two takes up the interpretation 
of the Bible; and its study as a whole 
by books, chapters, topics, words, etc. 
_ 42mo, . cloth, $1.00 


~ How to Memorize . 

a Compact Manwal of Fundamental 
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Memorizing with Especial Applica- 
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@Appropriate selections for practice are 

inclu Every student, teacher, 
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4 sceapha this valuable book. Quite as 

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SA Guide to the Most Effective Meth- 
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* . —Religious Telescope. 
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Christianity and | Non- Chistian : 


‘Religions Com 1: 
QThis vate written by the Instructor 
in Missions of the Moody Bible Insti- 
Yute, is a compact but com ensive 
volume which gives in 
graphs ev. 
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facts are discovered by questions and 
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DATE DUE 
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